


My Fairy Tale

by Oo_Maika_oO



Category: Vocaloid
Genre: Fanloid, Fantasy, Multi, Vocaloid - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-10
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-07-22 17:52:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 42
Words: 76,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7448482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oo_Maika_oO/pseuds/Oo_Maika_oO
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A love triangle between Kurotane Piko, Utatane Piko and you! Set in modern society, the word 'fantasy' maintains its existence in your mind as well as your life. Appearance is only in a matter of time~</p><p>Disclaimers :<br/>Kurotane Piko (c) Lya Yuki <br/>Utatane Piko (c) Sony</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One : The Man In The Void

Chapter One : The Man In The Void

The masked figure wearing a cloak watched the small orbs flicker within the dome. Each had its own special color, a fiery red for burning passion; the deep dark abyss of black; a lovely shade of blue for melancholy, illuminating his room. Each hovered around a small doll. Dressed in grandeur, it sat still, its eyes gazing at nothingness. The windows to its soul mirrored the dark void that lay beyond his room as far as he could perceive.

The man kept his eyes trained for any movements around the doll. He didn't know how long he had been doing it, but he knew he did it for a good reason, and so far he hadn't acquired ( or recalled ) any reason to halt. Perhaps his memory wouldn't serve him anymore when time wore on, but he knew that the only one to be trusted for his actions was himself. He'd learned his lesson and had no intention of letting history repeat itself.

He had made his motives, as well as his moves, known long ago. He didn't know how it happened, much less when and how long. He wasn't omniscient, but sagacity was something he treasured dearly when it came to foiling his pursuit. Much more so when his wisdom was the one who aided him when he was fixing the dome the first time it cracked due to his carelessness.

The dome was now kept in a cage. He could fling objects and lift furniture around his room without concern of anything breaking the dome without going up against the cage first. But no matter what he did, he couldn't keep his eyes off the dome and the lifeless toy residing in it lately. Was it because of the premonition a few moments ago? A gut feeling, perhaps? He didn't know anymore, he had played host for more than the fair share he should have had to distinguish the line that separated them both. Then again, both sent chills that racked his body and burning flames that licked and caressed his spine. Were premonitions meant to cause these ungodly signs whenever they decided to get their finger out? Maybe not, but each time pain of such degree possessed his body, it only contributed as proof that he was an exceedingly powerful magic wielder. He was sure no other would experience the devil's hellish grip as much, or as frequently, as he did. After all, he had made a deal with the devil itself.

In exchange for the safety of the one he favored, he would give up his rights for it to him. And as gratitude for keeping it safe when he had existed, he would acquire knowledge and a dome with the doll as an extra to watch over it. And if he ever let his desires detriment its safety, he would be plucked from this void and returned to its world to prevent hell from freezing over. And he wouldn't have to come back to this hellhole that was spared from any harm. He'd get another chance to fight again.

He'd pondered many times why he would get a chance to fight again, wouldn't that be jeopardizing his complete hold over it? And where in his mind did he find reason to believe that erasing his own existence would guarantee its safety from the same person who crafted this contract? Maybe he was overconfident. Maybe he thought the odds wouldn't be in his favor when it did come to play and that could have been why he wrote this condition into the agreement. Maybe it was in his memory and it had faded with time.

And so far he didn't get any proof to support his claims or the other's motives, as the dome didn't provide him with news. But he knew to be better safe than sorry, he wouldn't let his guard down. If he allowed him back, it could have meant that his actions were predictable, hence the condition and this banishment. But that couldn't be used to describe him instead. Erratical, unpredictable, protean, ever-changing. Even when his wants were clear as day, the ways he used to achieve them were most unexpected. And each time he was caught off guard, it enabled him more than a few steps forward towards his goal.

If he was brought back, he wondered if his knowledge was enough to ward them off if not foil them completely. It was back then when he didn't know what to expect. When life was breathed into him, that itself was not in the list of ordinary. Within his grasp was the chance to go through what a normal being did. He didn't remember what kind of chaos he had caused to it but he remembered the satisfaction that succeeded his guilt every time it expressed its worry for him. It had driven him to worry each time something happened to it when he wasn't around, it was nice when the tables turned. But back then he was trapped in a vessel that wouldn't do what he wanted to do. It had learned how to handle the vessel carefully. Perhaps Lady Luck had smiled upon him, how else would he become its belonging? Out of all those on the shelf in that merry, bright place, it had chosen him who was partially hidden in the corner of the shelf, behind all those dressed to the nines. He was immensely grateful that he didn't end up with someone who could inflict knife marks on him in his most helpless state.

Oh well, stuff happened and he was to be stuck here until some destiny happened to dig his help back out. Like a trump card. Only it wasn't a card, it was him, him who had stuck with her during her dark times and bright times. And hidden behind the depths of its heart, it needed him to be there, especially when exposed to danger that concealed itself whenever it wished. He had the chance to say out loud that he would be selfish, give up his patience and be reborn as a human being and live life without knowing his past. But he wouldn't. He wouldn't repay its kindness with such a treacherous act, even if his existence was no longer known to her. Even if it thought it could handle itself against any danger.

There were many times she had underestimated those that went up against her. And he would be there to watch, even behind the scenes, he'll always be rooting for her. He'll step up if he was required. Most of all, he wouldn't let her face him herself.


	2. Chapter Two : The Calm Before The Storm

Chapter Two : The Calm Before The Storm

The cute boy in front of her was fidgeting.

She had known his actions, experienced them herself, although she didn't get the chance to execute the actions that normally succeeded such signs. She wasn't sure if it was good, that she didn't have the luxury of going through it first hand. Then maybe she could convince those friends that were head over heels in love to not think of themselves as a maiden ( or man ) in distress when talking about crushes, with a good ladle of reasons. Who would be such an irresponsible person, one who let their life ride on a 'yes' or 'no'? But maybe that was because of family backgrounds.

She didn't understand. Friends were better than boyfriends and girlfriends. If there was something she learned from watching television, it was that best friends that were once comfortable with each other turned into over-sensitive humans when they got themselves out of the friend zone. And a single breach of their unspoken promise will permanently shatter their relationship, irreversible and unrepentant. She was pretty sure the world known as 'real life' was much, much different. But so far, she didn't find anyone who shared her views. They were too caught up in what they had been taught to care about her opinions. And she still didn't understand why love was so important that whole lives and future could be put on a thread, like how a pawnshop operated. The difference was glaringly obvious but cleverly concealed at the same time. The difference, objects in a pawnshop were physical, the gamble in love was of the mind and heart.

The boy wouldn't make eye contact with her. She had thought at first, maybe she did something wrong. Her sarcasm must have rubbed off as insulting. But then he started to look restless and she changed her mind. The signs he was showing must've meant that something big and life-changing was coming up. But maybe 'life-changing' would be suitable for him and not her.

"_______, um . . . er . . I-I . . uh . ."

Poor boy was stammering. She leaned forward, acting completely oblivious to his miniature breakdown.

"Are you mentally scrolling through your long list of speeches, if you did prepare any?"

She didn't know how to ask him to hurry up without coming off as rude. The few times she had been honest and blunt, she received glares, small enough to be unnoticed by others other than the receiver. She had the honor of getting the first hand experience, and after taking a good long look at herself, she improvised. She was sure this boy wouldn't send her glares, from the looks of it, he must've been staring rather than glaring at her long before he even decided to meet up in this cafe.

Well, not that I can help it, she thought as she pushed her hair back in her mind, imitating the models on magazines. It feels good to be loved. And so far, she'd only have one person confess to her, and that person was someone whose existence was completely unknown to her. Not to be offensive, she wasn't giving chances for free. She had turned him down as warmly as she could, and tried to become friends. But he was the one who had cold feet, despite her numerous attempts to get him talking. That had worked a lot worse than she hoped, but her improving efforts certainly didn't last long enough to her liking. Then the 'drifting apart'. And by the looks of this boy, she felt like memory lane was already paved out for her.

She focused somewhere else. She'd once said something about 'plenty of fish in the sea' and had mentally facepalmed for giving such a lame suggestion for getting over the rejection. Three stars, seeing that it was something many people would say. Then when she'd helped her friend dish out lines to a boy whom she'd rejected afterwards, she'd said 'great big clunking hints about a broken-hearted girl who needed some friends-with-benefits.' She felt that it was even worse, and gave herself a minus one star for jumping to conclusions that he was lovesick. That must've been really insulting to the poor boy. Now, she leaned back and prepared for this boy's words, she should make up for them by saying something better. The bench mark should be four stars . .

Oblivious to this great sporting moment, the boy finally decided to drop the act and, with as much calmness as he could muster, finally said the three words.

And the words she responded with were . .

"I'd rather not jump the line and be friends first with you."

That was acceptable, she hoped. But, judging by the puppy dog dejected face, it probably wasn't. Oh well, two stars, then. She shot her next line.

"If I were your friend, I'd be a cool wingwoman, go to the nearby bar, and let you drown your sorrows there. Chat up some other ladies and stuff. But judging by our looks, I'm not a beer person and neither are you. And I'm also the woman in question. Seems pretty awkward."

Okay! Plus one star, she mentally cheered herself with some imaginary beer. But the beer tasted sour, the boy was giving her a look, as if she was gleefully indulging in his fall. Nope. She needed some needles to sew up the hole he was, probably unintentionally, boring into her. She started to look down at the table and think of a better way, but before she could do that, the sound of footsteps reached her ears. She looked up.

"And yet the strings of fate attracts us together once more~" An overly joyful voice reached both their ears.

A boy with red eyes and jet-black hair that reached his nape looked down at both of them. _________ met his eyes coolly, but the boy sitting at the other side seemed to shrink, as if intimidated by him even though all he had shown on his face was an acknowledgement. He looked back to the only girl in the small party.

"Another one? How many confessions have you gotten other than from me? I'd be really really heartbroken if you went for someone else~"

Oh, the old charmer. Out of all the people who could've came, it had to be him. As if purposefully ignoring the boy opposite _______, Kurotane Piko launched his verbal teases at ________.

"Why didn't you answer my phone call yesterday? Talking to you always makes my day, and I thought you would settle for a secret garden instead of the Eden I always-"

"It's not really a secret garden now once someone else knows. And by the name 'Eden', it brings the impression of temporary."

I bet you said that to ward him off.

She was unrepentant. For excluding the boy out of their conversation, he should've taken a dig. ________ switched to a suitably apologetic expression, and made sure the poor dumbfounded boy saw it before pushing Piko out of the cafe, not forgetting to pay for the drinks she had earlier. She forgot if she even bought any drinks . .

In the warm air, sunlight greeted the two people. _______ abruptly stopped pushing Piko and stepped back into the shade under the awning above the cafe's door, eager to conserve a bit of cooling air before sacrificing them for the sake of traveling. Piko's dark hair was extra eye catching in the city streets, even more so with red eyes that were certainly not on the laypeople's list of cool eye lens, much less as original eye colors.

He dusted off the imaginary creases on his shirt and gave ______ a look.

"I'm not a fan of pushy ladies, but just for you, I'll let it slide, since there's a slight chance that you changed your mind~"

"And you'd risk it, knowing that slight chances are not related to major?" ______ replied. She wasn't the best there was when it came to inheriting backchat land, but when it came to Piko, she was willing to give him a bit of entertainment, since he managed to drag her out of the rather uncomfortable atmosphere that listed the poor boy as the third wheel. She wondered how she should apologize the next time she saw him again.

"Of course I would, you're the most beautiful lady I could ever afford-"

"Afford? You're talking about prostitution?"

________ was a little offended. She knew she should've been angry like most females would, but hey, it didn't cost her a dime to have an attractive man dish out buttery words to her. And he'd done it on his own free will too, she'd just let him go if he wanted to. Wouldn't cost either of them anything. Telling her she was beautiful was not something she heard from a man every day, might as well deal with fake ones if real love wasn't around the corner.

And maybe she shouldn't have leapt to conclusions and spoke her mind without letting him finish. But luckily, Piko didnt seem offended.

"-to date. And no, I'm not talking about money. I wouldn't give the light of my life up even if I can be an angel."

Kurotane Piko fixed her with a rather odd expression in his eyes before switching back to his usual nonchalant self. Chummily grabbing her arm like an overexcited child, he dragged her out under the midday sun and looked at her expectantly.

"Anywhere my darling wants to go?"

One minute he's serious and nonchalant, compliments her even though he doesn't mean it, and the next he praises her like she's a rare jewel and treats her as such. Oh well, no one's perfect, ______ thought. They may be unofficially dating, but she knew she wouldn't hand over her virginity unless a man she truly loves makes an honest woman of her. And until then, she'd make do with what she currently has.

"Hmm . . . Let's go . . . .

a. Somewhere fun? ( proceed to ♛ )  
b. Somewhere calm? ( proceed to ♕ )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a choice fiction, there will be choices that lead to bad endings or good endings, or allow you to proceed normally. The choices I lay out will be marked by symbols at the end of the chapter or before the choice titles. For example, if you choose the first choice, then proceed to the next chapter with the same symbol before reading on in a normal fashion.


	3. ♕ Chapter Three Choice Two : Somewhere Calm?

♕ Chapter Three Choice Two : Somewhere Calm? ( proceed to ♕ directly )

". . . . . . . .somewhere calm? I should tone down my reputation after what happened at the cafe."

_And replenish my energy after dealing with you._

It was a plausible reason, she hoped. She just didn't want to go home and face an extra flirtatious Piko. His normal aura with her when his fan girls weren't taking up his time was tolerable enough, she didn't want to know what he'd conjure up when no one could see them. She was sure he wouldn't make any moves on her, but he'd pamper her by waiting on her hand and foot. And she didn't want to suffer the consequences if he left her alone by relying too much on him.

Piko was still grinning at her, although his eyes excluded disbelief.

"So you can deal with extra homework from your professors but one day with two admirers is out of the question?"

"No, you drain my energy. I bet the guy would be super pleased to hear those words from you."

"Of course! A princess shouldn't tire herself with unnecessary work~"

"But in modern times it wouldn't do to slack, Piko. And that was sarcasm."

Piko ignored that last sentence.

"Is my existence not enough to shoulder your burdens?" He feigned a pouting face and snuggled into the crook of her neck, then attempted a puppy face.

"Maybe?" She wouldn't cave in to his cuteness and say yes. After all, he literally offered, she'd take advantage of that.

Piko flashed her his signature charming smile and untangled himself from her. This time, he just held her hand as they walked.

"I know a good place nearby. It's big, you won't be disappointed~"

~

It was a holiday. Birds were chirping, flowers were blooming. On sunny days like these, the idea of work can sod off in hell.

Many people were at the park, from families to couples and singletons. There were some old folks going on a stroll, and on another hand, a group of girls were animatedly talking about a local idol. The park had benches bolted to the grassy floor along the pavement in the park, a moderately sized playground that took up the four corners of it. There was even a small board, which a map of the park was pinned upon.

And behind the board, two people were peeking, careful not to draw attention to themselves. They were hiding, but not making a lot of effort to hide their stares directed at the aforementioned group of girls.

"So we had to waltz into a place where your fan club is having a top secret discussion?"

Using sarcasm to hide her disappointment, _______ flashed a suitably sympathetic expression at Piko to lessen the accusing tone. It wasn't his fault he was popular.

"It's not my fault that I'm so well known. I didn't think they'd be gathered, we won't be able to have some time to ourselves in the open. My apologies, Princess. I'd prefer to chase them somewhere else, but . ."

He left the sentence dangling, refusing to complete it.

So even their personal time was limited and had to be buried. When there was an opportunity to personally catch up with each other instead of any communication app, both would jump at the chance but not show it. And _______ wasn't too eager to give up the chance.

"Let's just make the most of it and stay here, then."

Without a care in the world, _______ sat down on the grass. Piko stared a while at her rather unladylike action but sat down without complaint.

"Okay, this time let me talk first." He said without letting ________ have a word in between.

"Since we haven't been able to chat like old times, let's just recreate our own world." He continued.

He fixed her with a rather serious look, and suddenly lunged at ______, who fell back from his unexpected action and trapped herself between the grassy floor and his body. Then he lowered his head until it was right beside her ear. Even so, she suppressed the instinct to struggle, due to her trust that he won't actually do anything. Still, a small flower of slight fear bloomed in her mind.

"Or should I show you my version of Eden instead right here?"

Without missing a beat, Piko whispered in a voice low enough for the two of them to hear. The sentence came as another surprise to _______, whose cheeks flamed red before trying to temper the heat by focusing on getting out of the situation.

To ______, the saying 'think first before you act' was ingrained in her during her early life, hitting someone meant that they are fully entitled to hit her back. Even knowing Piko's chivalry, she didn't dare do anything a normal woman would do, which is pushing him back, in case he made her pay with some embarrassing action later. Violence would be her last resort.

"Bear in mind that you have a reputation. I do not want to partake in this activity."

"If it does, so be it. My fame is something I do not take pride on in the academy. I'd gladly shrug if off if I could." Again, said without a second thought.

Ah, shot down. She grappled through a growing fog of worry in her mind and managed to string together another reason.

"So you want to drag me down too? Are you trying to burden me?"

As soon as those words escaped her lips, she felt her body temperature drop. She was staying too long on the ground, or the fear was steadily growing in her. She gripped the grass and dug her nails into the soil, trying not to let fear overtake her.

"Maybe I should listen to what your body says instead."

Gently, he began nibbling on her neck. ______ focused on her need to get out of his grasp to prevent the shock from rising again. She didn't like how the situation was going, despite her instincts protesting to let him.

Last reason. Or else she'll really have to turn to her last resort.

"Look, you want this moment, but I don't. It's not worth giving up your tomorrow, it's definitely not what I'd give up for! Trust me, none of us will like what follows if this gets out!"

Without waiting for his reply, she gave Piko a gentle push. He stopped and looked down at her, but still not getting up. He had an unreadable expression on his face, his eyes devoid of any life. Maybe he was contemplating whether to stop this. Sensing that the tables have turned, _______ gave another shot.

"We're just behind a board, not in a secluded spot. And my days of shouldering the role of a Guinea pig while being a student has born fruit long ago, your fan club would be happy to tear me to pieces if anyone spreads this! And if this becomes blackmail material, I'll end up somewhere maybe I won't be able to escape from!"

At that reason, Piko sat up and turned away, lowering his head so that his bangs hid his current complexion. Sitting up too, ______ rubbed her neck. He must've left something there. Now how would she hide it?

"And I would go for the former choice. Let's just talk."

She hoped the subtext was clear in her tone. She was planning to forgive him, it was Lady Luck who helped her out of the predicament. In all the times she'd known him, she couldn't blame him for suddenly loosening up. It was tough being a tough cookie at the academy, maybe he wanted a break from continuously being on the receiving end of his fan clubs' attention. Maybe she should give him some other way to have a break. A KitKat, maybe? She looked overtly at Piko, whose face was still shrouded in shadows.

He probably would start the conversation by saying sorry. This time, a sorry was in order but ______ didn't want to bring it up, in case she looked like she cared too much. Nope, he'll say it when he's truly sorry. She's fine with his antics but not an apology with no serious meaning, especially after what Piko very nearly did. She decided to change the subject before it carved too deeply into her memory.

"So are you okay with the subjects at school?"

Truth be told, she didn't know any other good topics. If she talked about herself, it would look obvious that she cared. If she talked about him, he might be reminded of what he did and might take it too seriously, based on his past on being too mindful of what his impression on others. Let not history repeat itself.

"I think your voice was a tad higher than usual~"

Raising his head, Piko finally looked at ______ with a smile gracing his previous expression. He peeked from behind the board, as if ______ never said anything at all.

"The group's in half. I should go and bring the others away, then we'll talk properly, Princess. Wait here for me."

She could hear him trying to keep his tone happy and carefree. But she thought not to mention it, just in case he tried to deny it. She stayed as he walked off.

Then she changed her mind and sat closer to the side of the board, eavesdropping. She could imagine Piko flashing his idol smile at the group of girls. No need to check, he always did. Today he was picking them apart one by one.

"Do you recognize me? No? Ahhh . . I'm saddened that you don't, but I know it's my fault. My fault for always keeping you in my dreams."

His velvety tone crooned, loud enough for _______ to hear. She felt jealousy surge within her, Piko had to sacrifice their time to tend to his fangirls. Even though it wasn't his fault, she had went through the experience of being small fry and didn't like it. Not for the first time, she regretted her decision to change him. If she could, she'd go back and ask her past self to ditch the dream.

The aftermath wasn't always not what she expected. Glee would be there, only to be replaced by feelings that were unexpected but painful enough to feel like an idiot for only heeding the bright life. Just like celebrities that had fame but had to run from reporters.

_______ took a bit of pride in that, Piko normally didn't run from his fangirls. And he only had to switch on the magic when he needed them to do something. Then they wouldn't be so vicious.


	4. ♛ Chapter Three Choice One : Somewhere Fun?

♛ Chapter Three Choice One : Somewhere Fun? ( proceed to ♛ directly )

. . . . . The amusement park? For the first time it's close to the house and we should have time to play as much as we want."

She didn't have any specific place in mind, and maybe the feeling of not wanting to go home compelled her to say it, even though there may not be one nearby. Without missing a beat, Piko slid his palm from her forearm into hers and walked off, as if he actually knew where he was going.

"A princess doesn't read the news, she should let her prince do the work, but oh well~"

In a singsong tone, he detached his body from her arm and held her hand, swinging it afterward before walking in an unknown direction. ________ decided to drop the events and enjoy herself, she knew she could trust him and wouldn't be disappointed. He had stuck by her side for a long time, longer than she could recall, and each time she gave him her trust he never misplaced it.

Suddenly, he stopped and looked back at _______. A grin still plastered on his face, he kept his eyes trained on her face, as if searching for answers to an unknown question. After a while, he broke eye contact and peered around their surroundings. Odd for him to look at her without saying anything.

"What's up?"

Tilting her head, she tugged on his arm, gentle enough to not hurt him but strong enough to be noticeable. Then only did he place his attention onto her, as if he only noticed she was there. This time his silly smile widened a bit.

"The last time I searched your wardrobe, I didn't see any girly dresses. Did you place them somewhere else?"

"I guess you were disappointed, huh? I have a long-running history of not buying lacy underclothes, and it's possibly not changing anytime soon." She avoided the question and mirrored his smile, laced with a hint of triumph. She had a tendency of placing her underclothes on top of her casual clothes, due to a rather long running habit of procrastination that contributed to the above statement.

Since she reached her blooming age, she didn't live with her elders anymore, and got lazy whenever she had to fold her clothes. Dumping and shoving them into her drawers was easier, as long as she didn't get any buggers starting a society there. Or in this case, she mused, buggers rifling through them unless it was Piko.

The first time he cracked that kind of joke, she had swatted his arm. She didn't remember how she had allowed him to dig through her wardrobe in the first place, much less let him off the hook whenever he was caught red-handed. But since she couldn't find the energy to reprimand him for those actions, then she should be the one to change. So after that, she had intentionally 'misplaced' her embarrassing secrets and had asked Piko to find them, describing each item as vaguely as possible so that he would not catch on. Each time he failed, she could see his expression droop a little, in contrast to the feeling she felt each time he gave up. She was sure he didn't mind, he'd known her long enough to not pay much heed to her mischief.

"But yes, I do have one. Want me to wear it?"

"Well, duh, or were you planning to wear your loose clothes again? My darling should wear some beautiful clothes so that she can show off~"

"Okay, then."

~~~

"I kinda regret suggesting this place." ______ said to Piko.

"Well, you reap what you sow, I guess. It's okay, for a traveling entertainment spot."

Both their eyes were glued to the landscape behind the bars that blocked the procession. The facilities were there, all the normal requirements were fulfilled, but the lines for each and almost every ride was long and near pouring out. Mingling with the crowd was going to be a challenge.

Oh wait. If she wasn't wrong, Kurotane Piko himself was a well-known pretty boy at school with high and mounting popularity, surely he could use his charm to bring them some moving space?

She remembered the time he'd first shown up to school, clinging ( metaphorically ) to her arm and wearing a rather subdued expression with eyes that darted around his surroundings, betraying his nervousness under the unfazed mask. The day afterwards when all the girls had helped him settle down, she recalled her attempts to encourage him, make him a little outgoing, trying to get him to flaunt his boyish charm in school, then she'd get a feeling of what it was like to have connections to an idol.

It did work, he had gotten more popularity than they had both accounted for, but it came with a price. It meant that each time she sidled up to him for a daily update on each of their lives, she didn't feel safe anymore, with daggers coming her way from all the fan club members. Even now, she could feel the strange ache that made itself known each time she watched him flirt with other girls, or passing by her with a crocodile of loyal fans, with not a greeting headed her way. It was as if she was no longer needed in his life. And that was a passing daydream that was most unwelcome, as fleeting as it was. And as if by a secret pact, they had automatically distanced themselves from each other, for both of their benefit.

She made up her mind. He'd never become a panderer if it weren't for her in the first place. She might as well suck it up, and not lament over the past. Mustering a smile, ______ turned to Piko, who was still looking at the crowd.

"Since we're here, let's not waste the chance."

This time, she held his hand first and walked towards the amusement park. She hoped she didn't have to ask him to show off, he'd attract unwanted attention and it would be a really tricky predicament if any familiar face recognized the person he was doing it for.

~

The orbs began to glow as the three colors circled the vessel, still propped like a shiny jewel. The red orb swelled , as if about to explode. A few moments later, it did just that, raining sparks over the doll in the dome. The clothes it wore didn't seem to be singed by the sparks, but soon the eyes swirled with life. The doll dissolved into dust, each particle slowly attaching themselves onto the blue and black orbs, cracking them apart and slowly forming a lively scene as whatever remained in the orb dissipated, merging themselves together to complete the landscape.

"So it's beginning."

His feelings must have been sliced off by the river of time, for this was an event he had been waiting for but didn't feel anything from it. He had thought the pent up emotions would burst like firecrackers, much like the orbs within the dome, but now that it was happening, he only felt a bud of expectation blossom within, and wondered why he had taken such a long time to act.

If the dome showed him this scene without anything unusual or peculiar happening, then it meant that he couldn't let his guard down even more now. Something will happen, he was sure of it.

~

The crowd did not seem to have dispersed in the slightest, even after two rides. Perhaps that's how important and treasured a Sunday is to the working community. But for freelancers, every day is a holiday, maybe.

Sitting on a bench under the shade of a nearby tree, there were two people, one a typical lady in her teens, the other a black haired boy beside her with red eyes. And one of them wasn't in the pink of health at the moment, after agreeing to go on the roller coaster per the other's request. It was shown a few moments later, after disembarking the neon colored snake, which was already blurring along the tracks, pumping excitement into its current batch of passengers.

"Maybe we shouldn't have gone on it after all," the female's voice drifted out.

She was trying to coax some words out of her partner, whose face was tinged with hints of green. And by the expression in his face, he was experiencing some emotions but one could say that determination and excitement weren't in the list if it was about going for a second run. Or rather, determination could be coursing through his veins at the moment, judging by his eyes that whipped around, lacing through the crowd to find a rubbish bin in case he threw up.

No use crying over spilt milk, she thought. Apologizing wouldn't help a sickly Piko. Muttering "I'll be right back", she went to a popcorn stand, deftly stole a paper bag, opened it, and promptly held it under Piko's head.

Which he promptly dry heaved into.

"I'm glad you didn't stuff yourself. Or it'd really be messy later on." _____ quipped.

Piko had his hand on his chest and breathing deeply, as if trying to calm himself down. ______ patiently waited for him to stop before talking again.

"Don't apologize. You risked your health for my happiness, nothing to be sorry for. Don't attempt stuff again next time."

She made her words as business-like as possible. Wouldn't want him to start buttering her up again after the episode. And if he was going to apologize ( unlikely but still ), then her guess would be spot on.

"How did you know what I was about to say?"

The words flew out in a startled tone. He mentally clapped his palm over his lips. How could he say that?

"I've seen my friends get sick after a ride and when one of them gets sick, both of them would keep on saying sorry. One's sorry for not saying, the other's sorry for insisting on the ride. In the end, person A is still sick. The word 'sorry' doesn't do much during these situations."

Hoping that he'd dismiss the part about risking his health for her, she tenderly placed her hand on his bent-down head, smoothing his hair to lessen the humiliation. If he did have any. She could feel his mood lighten up a bit. He always felt more at ease when she did that, he'd told her once.

Raising his head, Piko smiled at her, though the aftermath hung around the edges of his expression.


	5. ♛ Chapter Four : Incident

♛ Chapter Four : Incident ( preceded by choice ♛ , go directly to Chapter Five )

_Such a lively place . ._

After a few more rides that weren't focused on speeding, undulating and doing flips ( and with the clean paper bag drifting around a random spot ) , _____ and Kurotane Piko were back on a bench again. And the two were bantering, each eager to update the other about the recent activities in their lives.

"So you know, she had a crush on that guy, and it was like he didn't care! He should've just rejected her or accepted her, the saying 'silence is golden' isn't meant as a reply to a confession!"

"So you're saying that you had something to say during that time? So if you were him . ."

"I'd just reject or accept."

"Easier said than done. And the way you replied to that guy earlier was nothing but 'just'.

"That a special occasion!"

"To promote my name?"

"I wish it was, but nah."

The crowd paid not the slightest bit of attention to the cheerful duo talking to each other, lost in their own little world. Their exhilaration enabled topics to flow between them smoothly, successfully catching up with each other's lives, bounding and leaping over awkward tension towards sky high boundaries.

And showing no signs of retiring. Free of Piko's clingy fan base, he was finally having time to spend with the one person whom he sincerely cared for. And he planned to make the most of it before he was dragged off again. When the laughter and excitement died down, _______ had settled for observing her surroundings, a glimmer of hope in her heart wishing for them to remain like this before reality dragged them off again.

"Princess, I'm happy we could talk together like this."

"Yeah, me too."

"Don't you feel tired after walking for so long and putting your body through strenuous exercise?"

"Like what?"

"Like . . Taking care of me?"

A misstep, again! Why was he worrying about that when she had clearly told him not to? And again, he was lucky to not be found out that he forgot.

"So taking care of someone is a burden now, you think? Nah, worrying and taking care of an important person doesn't make it tiring. We're both happy that you're fine now."

"Oh, uh, okay, thanks for earlier."

"And since when does a recyclable bag weigh tonnes? So it's sincerely no biggie. Oh wait. You stuttered!"

Deciding to ease Piko's conflict, ______ poked fun at his stuttering. He should laugh a bit and maybe shrug it off.

"Hey, what's so funny? There's a first time for everything!"

Piko muttered in a rather irritated tone. He wasn't planning to become a normal guy. _______ certainly was special, in a mundane way and in yet an extraordinary way. He wasn't going to vanish into the background if she ever found another friend to speak to.

Wait, she wouldn't make the first move if it came to most social activities. He was safe for now.

"So, anywhere you want to go? I don't have any more trips to make, before you ask me where I'd like to go."

And just like that, any problem that had surfaced was gone. How quick, he thought, for someone as observant as her to shrug off events as if they were part of everyday life. He remembered that she had a reason for being this way, but not the reason itself. She did notice things, she just didn't have an audience to listen.

Or maybe he was just self-conscious and made his mistake a lot larger than it actually was. Like a picture, with a frame that grabbed attention more than the work of art itself. But then again, _________ saw beauty and silver linings in dark places which she would reach towards, and purposely divert her eyes from the bleakness surrounding it, instead being a conniving pessimist somewhere and letting a deity take the wheel.

That was a skill of hers that he looked up to. In all his life, he never saw one who was willing to fight for something and actually execute said action when challenged. He'd chosen the right place to be, the right person to have connections to. The skill was a rarity, for a mundane to have it was really something. But the short end of the stick meant that she would only do so if she wanted to. If she liked, she could just stand back and let nature work its course without fear of the consequences. And by her chill laid back attitude to rather dark stuff, it was like she had everything under control, just waiting to give the verdict. And most times the verdict never came.

"Princess, I insist that you rest up."

"You're offering your space to me? No thanks, I'm fine."

"Of course not, you're staying here with me, you know. Like this."

To demonstrate the meaning, Piko faced towards _________ and gently held her shoulders. She tensed immediately, thinking that he wanted to press her down on the bench. Which he did not do, as he turned her torso until she was facing him, and promptly laid her down on his lap. This was something she didn't expect, though. She lifted her legs to rest on the spot where she previously was before her posture was altered.

After that, she looked up at Piko. His crimson eyes made contact with hers, face aglow with gentleness that was most unusual for his personality. Odd for him to look like that, when he had been narcissistic just a few moments ago.

To alleviate the surprise she felt, she decided to crack a joke again.

"Normally the girl offers her lap to the boy, but I guess you're excluded since you're a type of girl, haha."

She knew it would make him tetchy, then he wouldn't notice what she truly felt just now.

"Hey! You know I'm not a girl!"

Putting on an exaggeratedly hurt expression, Piko chuckled a bit and pushed _______'s bangs to the side, as if looking for something to do. He didn't maintain eye contact with hers, which amused ________ to the point of chuckling.

Just the result she intended. She knew it would smart him ( although over usage would put the odds against her ) , then he'd leave her alone when she was in this state. In case she did fall asleep, she wouldn't want to wake up with him all over her.

"Okay, I'll listen to you and rest a bit. I hope you'll be responsible if anything happens to me while I'm asleep."

Piko looked like he was about to protest, but _______ cut in again before the words could leave his mouth.

"I'm leaving my body in your care. I hope you don't do anything to it, but there's only you here, so I'll trust you for once. And if they're anywhere near, please try to keep our faces out of view, okay?"

"Anything for my princess~"

The meaning of 'they' was clear to both, and left unexplained as the girl slipped into dreams.

~

The sun was hot, but the amount of visitors weren't thinning. Families with children, couples in love, or just groups of friends out for some excitement, all weaved and mingled with each other without bumping into each other, as if by an unspoken deal. It was truly a lucky day, the shadows of the crowd provided shade to the black haired male and his partner. With _________ asleep, Kurotane Piko was extra diligent on the mission he was on, to keep a lookout for any familiar faces that would surely bring misfortune to both if recognized.

Meanwhile, the dome showed the duo resting on the bench, the boy with eyes that darted around slower and slower with each sweep of his eyes, occasionally training his eyes on dark corners while smoothing the unconscious female's hair with his hand.

The man in the void was serving as a second pair of eyes, just one with no paycheck. The dome couldn't stray from the couple, whenever he spun the dome, there were only so many objects that could come into the distance without keeping the couple away from its sight. But it was better than the boy doing it alone. The man found his eyes focusing on the sleeping female too, sometimes, which only added oil to the fire raging within him. The heart wailing to stare at the female, the brain trying to keep an eye on the surroundings.

Even though the old pain from his past kept corroding him, he still did what he had to do. Even though he could only watch if any bad luck befell the couple.

Despite the two pairs of eyes keeping watch for suspicious people and the liveliness of the carnival, both failed to notice that riding the Ferris wheel, held securely in the highest cabin, a stranger's pair of eyes swept across all of the carnival, absorbing every small detail, and the sight of the couple did not escape unnoticed.


	6. ♕ Chapter Four : Incident

♕ Chapter Four : Incident ( preceded by choice ♕ , go directly to Chapter Five )

_Kurotane Piko can really make me feel old within a span of 15 minutes . ._

Still perched at her spot, ________ was waiting. She didn't know if she should've pushed him away just now. But when he had attempted it, she didn't feel any pain although it was a rather sensitive spot. Maybe she should. Or she could just see the glass as half-full, maybe his experience with volunteers taught him those skills and managed to imprint himself in a rather unexpected way and maybe he was an expert to not leave marks, just the sensation. It wouldn't show if she didn't rub it. Besides, her hair was long enough to hide it as long as she bent herself over a bit, like a hobo, just without the hoodie.

Not for the first time, she regretted getting herself a haircut. Oh well.

Piko was still working his charm on his fans. He's surely deserving of the skill if that was just a demonstration on how he could work his way into ladies, even for maidens with a heart of steel.

_I really want to join him, I don't feel safe here even though it's safer for us to be apart._

She gave the idea some thought but didn't dare entertain it.

"You said he came from over here?"

"Yeah, and there was another girl's voice here. If she's someone special . ."

A pair of female voices drifted towards _______'s ears. By the sounds of it, they weren't random people, and coming from the right side. Her brain immediately sounded an alarm, then read aloud the report. No running. Or else it would be obvious to the two girls that she was guilty.

Evade, camouflage . . Her heart whispered.

Quickly, _______ shot up and, with as much casualness as she could muster, turned left and walked around the board so that she was standing in front of the park map, just in time to catch the two girls walk to her previous hiding spot. Then she pretended to peer at the map, focusing on the lower corners in particular. Her hair hid the mark ( if there was any, but she couldn't check ), and shielded most of her face from view. By checking the lower corners, she wouldn't have to raise her head and expose herself.

Then, both the girls walked towards her. Their eyes raked up and down her body, as if sizing up their competition. From the corner of her eye, _______ could guess their apparel, bright outfits, dyed hair, miniskirts. They still attended school, but did the school say anything about artificial hair color? Maybe not, then they weren't from the same school.

Their glares felt colder. Their clothing were just guesswork, but ______ didn't want to remain still in case they were from the same school. Then she would be in really big trouble. She turned a bit towards their direction, enough for them to glimpse a bit of her face, turned towards the map again, and blinked hard with a contemplating face. Then she pointed towards the bottom right corner of the map, and asked them a simple question.

"Pops told me that there was a park here, and he said that there was a seesaw here. Is it gone now?"

Her voice came out a little higher than usual. The two girls can predict her 'original' voice to sound higher when she was flustered. So the girl that raised her voice behind the board certainly wasn't her, if they were unobservant enough. She was safe for a while now.

As ______ expected, they were caught off guard. Dubiously, they peered at each other, and looked back at her with disbelieving looks. Not safe yet. They'll piece two and two together and then she'd better prepare for hell later.

Go on talking, keep them distracted, don't let them catch on. A voice drifted within her body.

"Or are you two looking for someone?"

_______ kept her face carefully blank, just enough to express bland curiosity to hide her true feelings. Her whole body blared alarms that there was no one nearby except her just now, her attempts at conversation were lousy, she wasn't good enough, she's gonna get caught . .

"Uh, no, no, we weren't—"

One of the girls started to fib, the other gave her a look and a nudge. She mustered a smile at ________ and told her about a nonexistent seesaw and about how it's going to remain that way. She stuttered, sometimes helped by her accomplice, and _______ decided to play along. Then they left in a hurry.

_Heh, they don't lie like I do._

That wasn't a good way to evade trouble, but at least they weren't pouncing on her any time soon. This time, she didn't walk back to her spot, she just stood there and pretended to peruse the map again, waiting for Piko to finish sending them away. How would she face the firing squad later on when she met them again?

Soon enough, she heard footsteps that didn't sound like high heels on the grass. Or at least she didn't feel the vibe. She pretended not to notice and walked away from the board with intentions of leaving the park, just in case anyone hung around to eavesdrop.

"Going somewhere?"

His voice floated to her ears, the tone he used when it was for her and not for the sake of appearances. _______ didn't reply, just continued walking with her head down. Luckily for her, Piko didn't ask why, he merely followed behind, maintaining a certain distance and feigned nonchalance, but didn't stray to do his own business. Just like him, she thought. He'd never leave her without first giving a signal or a farewell.

After a considerable distance, Piko hurried until he was beside _______, and both of them continued chatting like nothing happened. Just like she expected, there was nothing to be tense about, and she was right.

~

Word of a hunchbacked teen had spread among the small group. Her small facade wasn't enough to fend off their suspicions . .

But their idol had said not to worry, that was him . .?

Inside the dome, the three orbs shivered and spun. Then, each grew a crack that slowly grew with more branches that crisscrossed and intersected each other. When the orbs were fully shattered, stardust of each color flowed out of the cracks, slowly revolving around the lifeless vessel inside like a galaxy. Then, elegant black sprouted on the husks of the empty orbs, dissolving them into black particles of air. There was only black and white circling the vessel now, both making an effort to keep the other away from the miniature inside but not reaching towards it. And through it all, it remained ignorant of the endless wars waged just centimeters away.

Just like the incident at the park.

Needless to say, it aroused the man's interest. So after endless currents of patience and waiting, the bargain was finally taking effect.


	7. Chapter Five : The Storm

Chapter Five : The Storm

School day.

Monday.

The day where _______ had to become an early bird. But the worm wasn't something she'd want, since it was school. Hey, she'd feel better if school burned in hell. Which student wouldn't want school to take a few days off to hell?

The alarm clock rang, literally jumping up and down and blaring ridiculously loud for all it was worth. And it was jumping right beside a bed, on which only a lump of bed head and a rather crinkled blanket could be seen. The whole room was completely devoid of any dazzling accessories, just a bed, a dressing table with nothingness occupying the drawers, a bookshelf occupied by books, and two doors, one to the toilet, one to the hallway. Full of pastel and no loud colors that stuck out like sore thumbs.

After some time when the alarm clock should be retiring for the day, a hand finally shot out and lowered onto it with a blow, effectively muting its shrill ringing once but not for all. Scrambling out of her warm nest, ________ got up, and immediately got off her bed before sleep could tug her back. Without tidying her bed, she switched off the fan and made her way downstairs.

After going through the morning routines, she went to the dining room for breakfast. Just some toast, with butter and jam, then she was done. Her bag was packed, filled with textbooks and exercise books, all the stationery she would need, all prepared last night after she returned home with Piko.

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she left for school after closing her door.

~

It was like this every morning when the days were school days. Of course, the normal days where one goes to school and returns home safe.

The entrance led to the school hall, where most students gathered if they chose not to wait at the cafeteria. Which wasn't a lot, since there were idols at the cafeteria, keeping their fan club busy. One of them was Piko. Ever since he had a reputation, he never walked with ______ to school anymore, per her request. He was even thoughtful enough to not stay at the hall and wait for her arrival. It was probably the best for her, she didn't want to challenge the patience of those girls that claimed themselves to be his harem.

A harem, ______ chuckled, with no trannies. Since there weren't any self-proclaimed trannies in school anyway, Piko had nothing to fear as long as they lay low.

The school hall was spacious, with two luscious curtains covering the stage. The clock hung above the line that separated the two curtains was this school's version of Big Ben, just with nothing oscillating underneath it. The chime afterwards echoed throughout the hall, just loud enough for the students to hear, including those that weren't in the cafeteria.  
Five minutes later, all the students filed into their own classrooms after an announcement _______ did not particularly pay attention to.

~

After the typical lessons, it was break time. Since all the classrooms will be locked to lessen any likelihood of theft, every student was required to abide by the rules and leave.

The cafeteria would be full of people, since, as much as _______ knew, Piko would be there and his fan club would follow him wherever he went. ______ had given up trying to race her classmates to the cafeteria long ago, so she always brought her own food . Today, she had two pieces of bread, with mayonnaise and tuna sandwiched between. She retired to the sides of the cafeteria to eat, where she always went so that she wouldn't block the flow.

And just then, a foot stuck out right before she passed, probably intending to trip her. _______ tripped, just like a normal person but shot out her other foot just in time and regained her footing, saving herself from embarrassment and the food in her hands from getting dirtied. When she subtly looked back towards where the foot extended from, there was no telltale sign that betrayed the culprit. She decided to shrug it off, get some food in her and act like nothing happened.

Recess ended just like that. _________ pretended not to notice anything and walked towards her friends. Eating alone in a crowd would make her self-conscious anyway.

~

It was the usual scene she saw every day at school. The time where every student would be rushing out of school, eager to be somewhere else other than school. From behind the school gates underneath the pastel sky, students were running, chatting, walking. All free at last of homework and strict teachers.

Without bothering to wait for any of her friends, ________ walked out of the gates. They always walked somewhere in groups of two or four. Never an odd number. Since she wasn't much for conversation, she always ended up being the one behind an even numbered group of friends, eavesdropping but never interrupting. They never paid attention to her words anyway. It wasn't a nice feeling, to have to explain why your thoughts were different and have your friends give you looks because they don't understand.

And they were too predictable, anyway. So why the fuss?

She had numbed herself a long time ago, so now she felt nothing when she watched her friends leave the school grounds without her and out of sight. Thirty minutes later, the school gates were locked, no one else was in the school.

A few miles away from her home, _________ was enjoying the tranquility. She knew someone would be following her, since they lived together after all. So she always made it a duty to reach home first, the keys to her house were hers and not anyone else's. Just as she went around the bend . .

"Hey, you!"

The person who spoke didn't receive any response.

"Don't ignore me! What are you, better than me or something?"

_Aren't I? You said I'm better than you. I'll just have to agree, since you expected me to be better than you~_

______ walked faster. She felt like trouble was around the corner and didn't want to try talking her way out if she got involved. The voice was from a girl, possibly with a group backing her up. She heard running footsteps and turned. .

She was held up by the collar, a girl with the same uniform as hers glared down at her menacingly. _______ feigned a look of surprise. The bag she held was left forgotten on the ground during the start of the situation.

"Huh? He-hey, uh, w-w-why are you—"

"The fuck are you doing, you think you can just walk away like that?"

"E-Eh? Me?"

"Who the fuck am I calling if it's just you there?"

_That's it, I'm not gonna act like a pussy now. You're getting on my nerves._

__"Maybe you have problems."_ _

__"Don't try acting high and mighty on me, bitch!"_ _

_That voice is too loud . . I really wanna shut you up . ._

__"Look who's talking. Avoiding the question isn't gonna help you, you know."_ _

__Trying to slake the rising fear in her body, ______ tried putting on a brave face._ _

__Another profanity left the bully's mouth, and a moment later a sound of skin against skin resonated. _____ was released, a slap mark on her face._ _

__"You're a nobody, who do you think you are, trying to get close to Piko like that? Don't think we don't know that you were with him yesterday! This is just a warning, act like that again and we'll visit again!"_ _

__And soon, the bully and her clique glared daggers at _________ before turning on their heels and left, leaving her alone on the ground._ _

__The pain stung, and so did the tears that threatened to fill her eyes. It happened all the time, not the bullying, but the conflicting emotions in her body. Each time she felt intense pain, especially on her face, her mind would react by wanting to cry. She had a lot more to say, had will to stand her ground, but her mind would prevent her from saying anything, the tears will fall if she said anything, then she'd become a weak coward who's still fighting. If only she didn't have this kind of weakness, then she'd have stood up to the bullies and truly be independent._ _

__Instead of staying there and crying, ______ quickly tidied her clothes, picked up her bag, and ran home before she could ponder over the situation. She didn't want to be seen crying when he got home. Besides, crying would only clog her nose and be a problem for her. She didn't want to cry._ _

__The sky darkened a little, the clouds floated away from the sun. The rays shone bright, illuminating a girl on her way home, trying to stifle her sobs._ _


	8. Chapter Six : Debris of One's Emotions

Chapter Six : Debris Of One's Emotions

In ________'s house, the lights were on. From a nearby window, the sun was setting. Clouds rolled over, a dazzling view of the sunset.

Meanwhile, ______ was cleaning her desk. The books once strewn haphazardly around her room were currently in stacks, tied together by ribbons. From big to small, from A-Z, they were proof that ______ was a meticulous person. An example of the saying ' a tidy house makes a tidy mind ', one could tell from the stacks of books and how organized her room was. The house itself was based on the theme of a minimalist, there was nothing to tidy up.

There was a bookshelf, full of books of fairy tales and some others she had written herself, ideas of games that she wanted to make when she grew up. Most were incomplete, however. That bookshelf was the only thing she could tidy up, since it had so many memorable souvenirs as well as books residing on its shelves.

And rushing around the room, dusting off every nook and cranny, was ________ herself. To a passers-by, it may be a good time for her to clean up her room. She decided to clean it, most probably because she had to. But to _________ herself, it was a foolproof method of keeping her mind off of problems. By doing something she hated, she'd rant on and on in her mind about ways to keep her room clean, or why she should've left her stuff the way they were. Many other reasons would flood her mind and effectively drown her sorrows. She really didn't want to cry, her vision had blurred on her way home and she didn't want to worsen it.

As long as her personal life was tidy, her outward look would be tidy. Messiness on one side will spread to the other, so it was best to cram up all the loopholes before the seams widened. Once again she had no regrets for listening to her gut back then to keep her room empty of stuff. Her past self kept these reminders for a reason. She wouldn't have to work till she dropped, since she didn't have much to do in the first place. Slowly, her fear withered, her defiance faded, together with her sense of strong will. When the books and ribbons were put back on the shelves and others in their rightful places, an exhausted __________ plopped down on the side of her bed. She should do her homework now . .

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"I'm home, princess~"

Ah, he's back.

Leaping to her feet, _________ hastened her footsteps to the door after cleaning her face. Tidying up her room was a kind of workout, so her body had gotten used to her hustling and bustling around. A big portion was just because she wanted to keep centipedes and other bugs out of her room. They'd often be hiding in the shelves, she'd learned that the hard way.

She opened the door with a smile and an utterly charming Piko walked in. After leaving his shoes outside the door with _______'s, he instantly went to his wardrobe. Both ________ and Piko didn't keep their wardrobes in their own rooms, the shower room was located downstairs, and both didn't want to climb the stairs to their rooms and make their way down again. And besides, the weather was sweltering all year round, so none of them had a habit of spending time in each of their rooms. Both their work desks were downstairs, just a few ways away from the living room but not placed side by side.

And after getting his clothes, Piko went to the bathroom to wash himself. That was the routine every day. No matter how hungry he was, he always bathed first. And he often took his own sweet time too. Most times _______ didn't mind, she would finish her work before having a shower, like a save point in real life, a reminder that she deserved her time off after having a court battle with homework.

But it was different today. She did her homework, and then went to the living room to find some materials. Come to think of it, there was once a time where she wanted to make her own hairpin. Lace, some broken plastic earrings, some glue . . Keeping herself busy like this was a way to keep her own fear pent up. But all too soon, a familiar feeling washed over her. She rummaged through her drawers, trying to keep her spirits up.

She missed the times where she could confide in Piko on problems that boggled her mind. When did they get so far away from each other? Why was she hiding her problems from him? Why did he feel like a stranger even though they were living under one roof?

Using them as a cover up for the real reason, she went upstairs, and showered in the bathroom joined to her bedroom.

~

In the dome, the doll was nowhere to be seen. It had dissolved into dust and had floated around, slowly spinning until the hallway in front of ________'s room appeared in their stead.

In front of ________'s door stood Kurotane Piko, his left hand hovering over the door, his right holding some food. It was late at night, _________ would normally be asleep. He knew something was wrong when she didn't come down that night, but didn't know whether he should give her some space or console her. The lights in her room were out. He had no idea of knowing if she was lying awake in bed.

He already had dinner, just an omelette but it was enough. He didn't know if he should leave her dinner outside the door. After staring at the door for a few moments, he knocked twice, left the plate of food outside her door and left unwillingly. As soon as Piko left the orb's field of vision, the lights in ________'s room switched on. The door opened and the owner peeked out with a questioning face. Seeing the plate of food on the ground with its own set of utensils, she picked it up and looked towards the direction of Piko's room. She didn't stay long outside in the hallway and soon disappeared into her own room.

For a while, the lights in both their rooms remained on, just like their hopes to be able to speak to each other. After _______ went to wash her plate and returned, the lights in the house diminished. Deep within their hearts, that small flicker of hope clung on to its memories, preventing its existence from being snuffed out by time.

However, where there was one closely monitoring the two people from the start, now there was none. Whoever it was, they were no longer there.


	9. Chapter Seven : The Clone

Chapter Seven : The Clone

________ didn't try to talk to Piko that morning, she had hoped for the problem that bugged her to silently leave her emotions alone. If she brought it up then she might relive the nervousness and shock yesterday. Today, she deliberately woke up later than usual, just wanting to see him that morning and be wordlessly reassured that he was on her side. She didn't want to go to school alone but she couldn't really spill the beans to him. He'd want to walk to school with her, and if his fangirls caught them walking together, there wouldn't be a moment of peace for her.

Perhaps he'd noticed how she acted last night, or else why would he bring dinner up to her room? He didn't waltz into her room with a smile, either. Her actions must have shown how she felt. If she didn't explain her burden to him this morning then he'd probably think she did something wrong and irreversible. They were close friends, almost best friends if not two people with a complicated relationship. Oh well, hiding wouldn't do wonders if she kept it to herself. She needed a bit of support since they were there for each other. He wouldn't know if she refused to say anything, and there was only so much she could do to keep all her burdens to herself.

She finished her breakfast and then seated herself in the living room, afterwards she waited for Piko to come downstairs. It didn't take long for him to come down with his full uniform on.

"Oh? Planning to join me today?"

He made eye contact with ________ just as she pivoted to face him. Her expression wasn't on par with his chirpy smile, and it soon faded. He peered at her with curiosity clouding his eyes while tidying his bag.

"Piko, I woke up early just to see you."

As soon as those words left her lips, the chipper smile floated onto his face again, the picture of a jovial boy. This was __________'s way of starting a conversation with him when they were alone, they were close enough to not take words like that seriously.

"How upfront of you. I've been waiting for those words~"

His grin this time was reassuring, contrary to the words he spoke and had more than once been directed to other girls. Those words held a concerned tone and it lightened up the atmosphere surrounding _________, despite the fact that Piko had quite the reputation as a womanizer. He charmed women with words like that every day. There was no guarantee that he would remain by her side for long even as a friend, but since _______ couldn't rely on most of her friends to keep herself safe just in case they were closet pervs, she had to turn to him. At least he'd have some idea on how to keep trouble away from her, knowing that he had a hold over the perpetrators themselves to a certain degree.

"Hey, Piko. Have you been keeping your fangirls in check?"

"I don't have to check them, I just have to blow a kiss to them to make their day, haha."

"Maybe you should step up your game, because someone tried to bash my head in. She mentioned that she saw us together but I'm not sure if she's an eyewitness."

She finally stopped beating around the bush and blurted out the truth without elaborating on the incident yesterday. That sarcasm was self explanatory. ___________ noticed that he was hoisting his bag up his shoulder, noticed his actions slowing a beat before hastening their pace again, and throughout the process both their eyes didn't leave each other. He was the first to speak after seating himself beside her on the living room sofa.

"Is that . .so?"

He broke eye contact and lowered his head. His eyes this time betrayed worry despite his efforts to not look at _______ directly. Worry about what will happen to her. This wasn't an everyday occurrence, he would have to keep looking behind him when coming home. It was hard enough returning since they were living under one roof, but if Piko's fangirls decided to stalk him home after that incident, their secret would soon be out. _________ knew she was making a fuss by waking up a bit later than usual just to talk. Maybe a better timing would be at night, where the both of them weren't being spied on.

But it wouldn't be right to shoulder them herself, the both of them were in this together. If Piko was the one without keeping his guard up, he'd probably greet her when he thought no one was around. Both of them didn't possess the ability of sixth sense, they couldn't assume that they weren't being followed.

"Oh, yes dear. They weren't as friendly as I thought they would. Oh, yeah, please go on with your usual life like nothing happened out of the blue."

She prepared to end the conversation there and stood up to leave. She tried to use sarcasm to cheer him up, but Piko stood up and grabbed her arm lightly. His mild curiosity earlier now escalated into full on concern.

"Isn't there something I can do to help you? Why didn't you tell me last night? Are you not going to acknowledge me at school for now on?"

His emotions shaped words that he knew did nothing to help the situation. It happened, and there's no going back. He didn't vocalize the main worry on both their minds, it was precious to both of them even though neither acted like it was a big matter. ________ felt her arm being tugged on lightly and turned a bit to look at Piko. Their gazes remained unflinching ; the same thoughts echoed in both their minds.

_Should I stop spending time with you outside our home?_

________ became wary of the silence that flowed between them. She gently held Piko's hand that kept a hold on her uniform sleeve and pushed it down lightly. She swept the house keys into her bag, and left the living room to put on her shoes outside the door.

"I'll take a bus this time. Don't worry, I won't attempt any self service by walking to school. Once the ruckus tones down, then we'll decide what to do, okay?"

Piko didn't reply, but she knew he couldn't possibly mishear. And soon, she heard his footsteps behind her. She tied her shoelaces and looked up, right at his unreadable gaze that was fixed on her. ________ felt the tension Piko was probably unintentionally radiating off his being. She gave him a carefree smile to hide the tension she felt as well from him. Bullying was no small matter, but she didn't want to act up right after the incident, in case it brought more on her tail.

"Don't look so blue, dearie~ the fangirls won't be happy to see a frown on you."

With those words came a radiant smile. Piko looked taken aback, his mask shattered. Oddly, a blush graced his cheeks, only to be quickly be suppressed as a bittersweet smile took its place. Conflicting emotions chased each other across his face ; irritation, relief, confusion and many others unidentifiable to ________. Nonetheless, he managed to return the fake smile.

_Perhaps he decided to leave the matter for nighttime._

Hoisting up her bag, ________ waved a goodbye and left. Piko didn't follow her, he knew better than to walk with her after _______ almost had her ass kicked up and down the country. After locking the door behind her, _______ walked off to the nearest bus stop as quickly as she could, hoping that Piko knew how to climb trees. He certainly couldn't be seen walking out through the front door again.

After a moment's notice, she heard the sound of leaves rustling and turned around, just in time to catch a pair of vivid cerise eyes trained on her, framed by leaves that were a few shades too dark. The pair of eyes blinked once, and ________ could almost imagine the smile on his face.

He didn't stay long on the branch and soon disappeared from view, prompting _______ to hasten her movements to the bus stop.

~

The walk to the bus stop was full of tension. _________ was laying low as much as possible, but her nervousness wasn't helping. The silence when she walked reminded her of her childhood, she used to run around wearing cotton socks, sometimes sliding in them. Never once in her life would she imagine that the 'ninja training' she had back then would be useful during times like these.

Thankfully, she made it to the bus stop without getting ambushed. How odd, it felt like the road paved in front of her led to the ends of the earth. For the umpteenth time in her life, she wished she had Pokemon with her instead of just her wits about to keep herself safe. Heck, she'd be on her way to the Pokemon league if only they existed! Life would not be so mellow with a Mightyena or an Infernape to protect her instead of malevolent but nonexistent eyes as a form of excitement!

With as much serenity as she could manage, she snuck in to the corner of the bus stop that was the closest to her. After finding a seat, she folded her hands demurely and kept her gaze on the ground. The people at the bus stop paid no attention to the schoolgirl and continued their chatters, as if she was invisible. But ________ soon felt chills that didn't originate from the people at the bus stop. She lifted her head a little, and the color on her face paled when she saw skirts swishing from the side of her view. Skirts matched with belts the same color as her own uniform.

_Oh no, have we met before?_

She dropped her gaze before they wandered up to the faces of the girls. This time, she found her fingers crossed. She waited for them to take notice of her, like a cornered prey. She saw shoes stop in front of her, their blunt soles about to point at her, but they paused and walked away from her, luckily out of her view. She sighed, but to her surprise, another pair walked in from the direction the others went. The stranger took a seat right beside her. Their shoes were different, so this one probably doesn't know her. She raised her head and subtly looked at them, only to be greeted by a pair of mismatched eyes looking at her.

Unnatural and long white hair framed an oval face, giving off a rather androgynous look to the stranger. They had a pair of radiant eyes, the left pale blue and the right luscious green. Their chest was flat with no signs of hills forming anytime soon, confirming their gender to be a male. This time, ________ raised her head to look directly at him. His face seemed to glow in the sunlight without blemishes to detract from his beauty, disregarding the hood that covered a considerable part of his hair. A smile graced his lips just before he spoke.

"Hello, miss. Why do you look so scared?"

_Where have I heard this voice before?_

He didn't receive an answer from _______, she was baffled by this stranger who seemed so familiar at the same time. Thoughts wrestled each other in her head, each eager to escape her mouth and voice out questions.

_When did Piko dye his hair? And why are his eyes not red anymore? How did he change his appearance that quickly?_


	10. Chapter Eight : Confrontation

Chapter Eight : Confrontation

__________ widened her eyes at this doppelgänger with white hair. His smile didn't fade as he patiently waited for her answer. She mentally filtered all the questions in her head as she tried to voice the most logical question she could come up with.

"You . . Do I know you?"

"Do you happen to know me? I believe we have not exchanged names yet."

That answer arrived almost as soon as she asked, as if he had been expecting her answer. The stranger leaned back, showing more of his white hair and an unnaturally sharp jawline as his gaze shifted from _________ to the sky. He looked back down at the ground in a rather awkward way and crossed his fingers before talking again.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, miss. I am known as Piko."

A look of shock flashed across ________'s face when she became acquainted with this stranger bearing the same name as the notorious flirt she knew. She blinked a few times, unable to believe that Kurotane Piko's fame had earned him a clone. Probably without his knowledge, too. Was this albino beauty Piko himself? She decided to find out.

"Erm . . May I . . May I know your surname?"

This time, ________ noticed the girls of her school whispering and giving her ( or him? ) looks. They were probably verifying with each other whether this guy was really the same dark-haired Piko with rumors drifting around the school. The boy seemed to pay no heed to them, his attention was entirely focused on __________. It seemed that way to her, since he didn't acknowledge her gaze that flitted from him to the girls.

"It's Utatane Piko. I hope you are not planning on moving back to last name basis, however. I believe it is your turn to introduce yourself, what say you?"

He even has an air about him. That was proof that this Utatane Piko was a completely different person than his black haired counterpart. He would be laughing at her by now and jokingly ask if he did not ingrain as deep an impression as he thought he did. At that thought, _________ involuntarily reached up out of worry. Piko's eyes followed her hand but she forced it down onto her lap before it could rise higher than her waist. His eyes went back to hers, with a questioning look on his face.

"Am I posing trouble to you, miss?"

"Oh, no, nothing troubling! It's nice to meet you, I'm ________."

Just then, the sound of an engine heightened in volume, indicating the arrival of the bus. _______ rose from her seat, and boarded the bus with Piko following behind, which elicited more whispers from the group of girls. Just as _________ found a seat and sat down, Piko chose that moment to sit beside her too, earning glares pointed towards the duo. This time, Piko understood the source of her rather dismayed expression and looked toward the group, instantly dissolving the hatred they possessed. With no one to distract her, _________ could catch a bit of their conversation, since they weren't sitting so far away.

". . . . exactly . . . .different . . . .same . .cute . ."

That was all she caught before her attention veered back to Piko, calling her with his calming gaze instead of her voice. His gaze did not waver in the slightest, it seemed as if he had been staring at her for some time. _______ returned his stare, wondering if he was miffed by the group of girls even though they weren't exactly gossiping about him. Judging by his expression, he seemed unfazed.

"________, are they bothering you?"

"A little. I'm rather envious of you, you look so much like someone I know. He's rather a panderer when it comes to women."

"Oh, do I? Is that why they are whispering to each other?"

He pivoted towards them again and smiled. This time, the atmosphere of the bus consisted entirely of silence. The only noise that gave the bus a modest boost of liveliness originated from the gossipers, ever since they boarded. Now they were silenced by just an upturn of Piko's lip corners and a rather . . . flirty smile? _______ did not catch a glimpse of his face, but seeing that the girls were not just hushed but blushing as well, was he actually wooing them?

_______ mentally groaned. Was this clone actually a charmer like the other Piko he was modeled after? If he was, she would have to avoid both of them for a while. Great. Another friend turned out to be a copy, and would probably end up with a copious amount of fangirls while he's at it.

To be honest, she would've liked to see the two of them get along, but since she'd hate someone who imitated her styles if there was a copycat, she wasn't sure how it would turn out. She knew Kurotane Piko considered himself a god ever since he became well known, he had told her that himself, but she didn't sense a frosty reception for this Piko, either. Whether they'd be enemies or allies, she had no idea.

Piko focused his attention back to her, done with his facade. His mask seemed to be effective enough for gentle murmurings to drift within the bus for all the passengers to hear.

"They've quieted down now, _______. I hope they weren't being a nuisance."

"Frankly, you quiet them down like the way he does. Feels like deja vu here, especially when I've been a sightseer to who knows how many. But still, thank you."

"My pleasure, ________. It seems that we have arrived at a school. Is this spot your destination?"

At Piko's remark, ________ peered out from the bus windows. Sure enough, it was her school that met her eyes. Now it was time to face verdict, she wasn't sure if Piko heeded her words to not tell anyone. He was always on her side, always looking out for her as best as he can while juggling his personal and professional life, but no warning on whether he would violate his words by being a telltale tit. Hopefully he wouldn't, if he did then she would have to risk the bullies finding her again.

_I really want to go back home but if I stay here any longer I won't want to disembark._

Hurriedly bidding goodbye to Piko who merely smiled cordially and nodded back, she left the bus behind, its back billowing smoke. The school building loomed in front of her, awaiting her entrance.

~

After the same announcement every day before school started, ______ walked back to her classroom. She'd never felt so safe, and yet, so alone in a crowd. Her friends talked about boys and books all the time, which only the former matter occupied the least space in her mind when she was alone. She normally didn't read romance novels, which was what her friends always talked about, so in a way, it didn't rattle her that much. She felt like being in the middle of a tug and war game throughout her life, trying to keep away from people that annoyed her and trying to be social enough to not be labeled a weirdo, and trying to bear with annoying people when she was trying to be social. If she wasn't so well versed in the rules, she'd be broken long ago by bullying, be it physically or mentally. How is life so unfair?

After the teachers of their respective classes droned their share of chapters and subchapters, recess arrived. As usual, ________ unearthed some bread from her bag and prepared to leave, only to be stopped by two girls standing in front of her class. Their ties and labels sewn onto the breast pockets indicated that they were seniors. Their auras weren't hinting in the least to be acquainted, their faces articulated worry. Since _________ was sure she never spoke to them before, they must be here on other business.

She walked past them after muttering an 'excuse me', but couldn't help the chill that coursed down her spine at their words.

"Is she from this class?"

"She should be, have they all left already? How are we supposed to find her now?"

"Do you see anyone with short hair around here? She said this girl had shoulder length hair, a bit longer than Piko's. And as far as she knows, this girl's pretty average but we should see what Piko sees in her."

"I think we can do that another day. Let's go before the cafeteria is completely packed!"

_______ was already speed walking away when she heard his name being mentioned, but she wasn't faster than light. Recognition dawned in the two girls' eyes as her figure registered into their field of vision. She couldn't run anymore, they had caught up with her. She braced herself for assaults as she turned around. Time to face them head on.

Their eyes raked up and down her body, as if trying to gouge her secret from her but soon rested on her face.

"You have short hair . ."

"Are you a friend of Piko?"

Friend or foe? __________ had not the slightest bit of idea. But she knew best not to confirm her connection to Piko. There was no one around to witness if things got ugly, so the best for now would be to lay low.

She looked at the two seniors calmly, just in case they doubted her answer.

What should I say to them?

a. "Why do you ask?" ( proceed to ★ )  
b. "I am not." ( proceed to ☆ )


	11. ★Chapter Nine Choice One : "Why do you ask?"

★Chapter Nine Choice One : "Why do you ask?" ( proceed to Chapter Ten )

_I can't trust my ability to lie, and since we aren't friends, they are more susceptible to doubt._

_______ made up her mind. She decided not to lie to them. She would not be blamed completely if the cat got out of the bag, and she wouldn't exactly be in the wrong if they deemed her innocent.

"Why are you looking for her? Is she really so important that you have to search up her information?"

Both girls were taken aback by her rather piercing answer, but their faces betrayed nothing of use to her. She still couldn't define if they were here to pick on her or actually to offer their support. She was afraid that if they used a roundabout way to trick her into leaking out confidential information, she'd have to pay the price since she would have to spin up a plausible story on the spot, and that would be a problem for her if their questions revolved around this lie. They wouldn't take her answer as an out-of-jail ticket. Stretching out her left arm, the sleeve of her uniform pulled back to expose a wristwatch, which she peered at afterwards.

_Surely this action would be enough to make them hurry up and get their job done._

Just as she expected, the seniors saw her action and looked at each other, as if contemplating which question they should quiz her on. Her little trick earlier would probably lessen their chances of asking the important questions. The two students opened their mouths but closed them before any words got out, as if letting the other speak first. Knowing that this was going to take some time, _______ decided to speed up the pace.

"Or are you here because a teacher asked you to fetch her?"

She certainly couldn't say that she'd heard the unlucky name out of their mouths. If they noticed that their voices were loud enough to be within earshot, then her attempts to mislead them would be busted. If she assumed that they were here on some Piko business, then she would have to act like a fangirl and gush on continuously about the amazing qualities of Piko that she knew he did not possess. Praises were nothing to him since he heard them every day, but if he ever heard them leave her lips, she knew he'd rub them in her face when they were alone. Even if she didn't act like a fangirl, choosing that path would put her in a position where she couldn't criticize or deny anything about him. Misleading would be the best bet right now.

"Um, yeah! Well . ."

This time, the girls replied simultaneously, as if that statement was a straw for them to grasp. Maybe they weren't part of the rabid fangirls, but it was hard to tell. Refusing to tell the truth proved to _______ that they weren't the types that wanted to get into his pants.

She silenced the thought before it could entertain her. She didn't want to think of how he would do it, and focused back onto the problem at hand.

_Would this throw them off?_

Without giving them a chance to continue their sentence, ___________ interrupted in an irritated tone.

"Which teacher? Please get on with it, I have some errands to run."

She had no errands. Well, not those that included teachers, anyway. If getting to school and coming back in one piece for Piko can be counted as an errand, she'd say that, since safety can be counted as a parcel or as something important. She'd told him not to worry, and now she should prove to him that he didn't have to watch her every move. She would say that reason, then she would not be lying. The only word she shouldn't mention is his name.

If they wanted to follow her to prove her point, then she'd have to take a trip to the teachers lounge. Or she would have to add in that she had to meet her friend. And since she didn't plan with a friend beforehand, she would have to walk around the cafeteria, give up searching for an imaginary friend, then sit down and eat. Maybe the school library? Hell would she know where Piko was. His fangirls would probably catch sight of her if she went to the cafeteria . . Perhaps she should eat on her way to the library. She'd at least get a bit of protection there, since there'll be some teachers and librarians.

All these thoughts flashed through her mind, just because she hung out with Piko and got spotted which led to the current events. She was thankful she spent her childhood reading books, or else she wouldn't last a moment against this drama in her life, where her fate rested between which answer she chose to tell. She was pretty much exiled from social life but she'd done what she could to keep herself average instead of being called a weirdo.

"Um . . I think it was Mr . . . Who is it again?"

The girl who spoke turned to her companion, as if trying to keep her lie afloat. The latter seemed speechless, obviously unable to keep up with her partner's choice of words.

_So they choose to go down this road. I have time to keep you happy._

With the information she gained without their consent, there was no way she would be fooled now. She wondered about the outcome. These two were like amateur actors. __________ smiled at them patiently, hopefully they would get the sarcasm and know that they were selfishly hoarding up her time. Was this business of worshipping Piko really so embarrassing that they refuse to even speak of him?

"Eh . . I think . . Miss Hochirea . .? Is it her?"

"Oh yeah! She said something about . . Homework? The ones she forgot to do. And she's getting punishment."

"Okay, when? Now?"

Obviously someone would get called to the teacher's desk because they did something wrong. Who gets this honor just by being a good student? And is the teacher a male or a female?

"Uh . .she said to to see her any time . ."

_Guess it's not important, she doesn't exist anyway._

The girl's voice seemed to trail off, perhaps knowing that she would be ratted out if the student named ________ went there and discovered that it was a lie. She was speaking to _________ herself, but that was beyond her knowledge. Meanwhile, ________ knew she always did her homework, so there was no sliver of chance that she forgot to hand in her homework or missed out parts. She decided to stop harassing the seniors and set them free to regain their conscience after such poorly thought out lies.

"Okay. I'll tell her, but if the teacher didn't mention a date and time, please tell her not to blame __________ if she decides to see her next year~"

She opened the packaging of her food and left to the library, leaving two baffled students behind in the hallway in front of her class. Their voices didn't escape ________'s ears.

"Hey, she—"

"Let's just go! We can come another time."

The small party disbanded, but the events that transpired in the hallway did not escape Kurotane Piko's line of sight. After the three were gone, he exhaled slightly and made his way down to the cafeteria, where his group of fans eagerly awaited his arrival.


	12. ☆Chapter Nine Choice Two : "I am not."

☆Chapter Nine Choice Two : "I am not." ( proceed to Chapter Ten )

_Looking for me but they only know public information._

The answers ________ planned to give them were set in stone.

"I am not her, but she's in my class. I think she may have gone to the cafeteria."

"Oh, uh . . Okay then."

The unsuspecting senior replied with a bit of stuttering but was dragged away by her partner before she could say anything else, leaving _______ all alone in the hallway. She walked away briskly before they realized that they've been tricked. Her school hadn't enacted a new rule to sew name tags on uniforms, and this was what saved her from the girls of this school. Really, not a single friend or female could be trusted now, because the rumor must've been spread by that girl. She'd just have to watch her back, in case they coincidentally met.

This time, she didn't dare to go solo and eat, the cafeteria was a safer bet since students of both genders would be there. No one would dare pick on her if she stood with a few of her friends, if she chose to sit alone she would have to cross her fingers and hope for the best.

The trip to the cafeteria was certainly not a breeze, although there was a rather cool breeze blowing by the corridor.

~

It was a normal day. The cafeteria was always noisy with the sounds of hustling and chatting. Classes required students to be attentive during lessons, or just not to disturb others by talking. Recess, before school and after school hours were the only times for them to chat amongst one another, and they certainly aren't passing up chances. Just like any normal day.

Teachers and students alike paid not the slightest attention to the junior threading her way through the crowd. In her hands were two packets of biscuits, the final ones she could grab before the cafeteria sold out of them. The packets were of a tantalizing illustration of milk and wheat, the photos of the biscuits themselves were taken at the perfect lighting to ingrain an image of a scrumptious licorice flavored biscuit to consumers. However, the junior did not buy them for herself. After arriving at her destination, she placed them in front of another student, with black hair and dazzling red eyes that shone when they caught sight of the biscuits.

"U-um . . Piko . . These biscuits, they . . um. . Are for you."

"Oh, really? Thank you! I won't be so hungry today, I guess. All thanks to you!"

"Oh . . Ehehe, it's nothing."

He tore open the packets and gobbled up the biscuits. Beside him were girls watching him eat as if he was the most beautiful creation of God, and every one of them had food in their hands. None of them felt like eating, however. They were too caught in their delusions of Piko. Sadly, their wishes weren't reciprocated.

After that incident, Piko had done his best not to worry about _________. She always trivialized things with sarcasm and occasionally honeyed words to him, just so that he wouldn't worry about her. He had a bit of idea of what she had been through, leaving out the minor details but he got the gist, she wasn't as strong as she thought she was. During the days when she would sit in the cafeteria and coincidentally within his view, near her friends but making no attempt to chat, he would keep an eye on her, purposely gazing somewhere else and not eating with his head down in case his fangirls were watching his every move.

He knew of the times when her facial expression would change each time someone she disliked walked past her, he knew that she disliked mixing with people that paid no heed to her. If he could, he would shine the spotlight on her but she feared excessive attention as well. He wasn't sure how to show that he cared for her and wouldn't shatter her trust towards him. All he was capable of doing was watch her actions from the shadows and root for her.

Just like at the start of recess, he watched her talk to the two seniors, hoping that he wouldn't have to intervene before descending to the cafeteria. He watched as she gave a perfunctory lie to them, and walked away a bit slower than before she was interrogated. Now, as his gaze stayed on her figure lounging at the quieter sides of the cafeteria, he wondered what role he had to play to keep their secret on hold before it bared itself for all to see.

~

Utatane Piko didn't know where the bus took him. He was just strolling around in the streets, window shopping but not shopping for any type of windows, or anything at all. He didn't have anywhere to go home to. The place where he called 'home' was no longer known to him. It moved around all the time, he had no idea where it would take him each time he woke up. It didn't matter much, since he didn't have any contacts outside or inside the void. Now that he could actually get up and go anywhere, he now truly understood what liberty meant.

He had seen, and read, so much during the time he was locked in, luscious hills with blue grass and artificial green roses, houses that creaked and wobbled, run by cyborgs with a conscience but all too fragile parts, and so much more. Worlds and creations full of mystery and miracles, it seemed like a dream come true when he found out that a small portion of his books were portals, with kindly villagers and floating islands. He even rode a whale through skies dyed in pastel colors. He felt immensely let down when he first set foot upon this land outside the void, only to find that none of those worlds he'd seen existed here.

He only had a few coins in his pockets, so it wasn't enough for him to spend multiple nights in a real house. Perhaps he would have to set up camp somewhere in a neighborhood. He'd ponder about jobs afterward. If there were people kind enough to take him in, it would be for the best. Then he'd have to return the favor . . Or he could just swindle money from unsuspecting people. Either way, he had to start paving out his life from tonight.

He left the street full of vendors hawking their sales, and trudged towards the bus stop he'd seen _________ at. She was the first friend he'd managed to make, she would offer a bit of help if she did show up. The passers-by were of the working community, and they were either looking at their watches or files from work. He slid into a seat, and positioned himself enough for his abnormally colored hair to not catch the sun's rays. He didn't want people to question his origin.

With nothing else to do, he took to observing his surroundings, the pair of eyes glistening in the sunlight. His long hair tickled his neck, as if attempting to distract him from the slight tension in his body that feared that she wouldn't notice him, even if she did pass by.


	13. Chapter Ten : Sudden Request

Chapter Ten : Sudden Request

The day passed by without any further threats. _______ didn't stay back, she left with the crowd and tried to merge in as much as possible. She was average, she wouldn't be noticed as much if she acted normal. She knew a group of students that walked the same way back to her neighborhood, perhaps she could go the same way . .

_Oh, didn't I take the bus to school today? Maybe I can ride the bus again. ._

She had enough change in her purse. And besides, it's always rush hour that coincides with after school hours. No one would pick on her at the bus stop. Walking home alone posed too much of a threat. She wasn't close enough with her friends to ask them to accompany her home. Piko would, they lived under one roof after all, but they had been caught together outside their home once before, and the current circumstances weren't permitting them to go anywhere together.

She made up her mind. The front gates would be full of vans and buses that would stop somewhere near her home, and there would be witnesses if she ever got into a twist. She couldn't let her guard down this time. With that thought in mind, she walked towards the nearest bus stop with buses lined up, waiting their turn to be filled with passengers.

~

The people waiting at the bus stop were gone. There was only Utatane Piko, listening to a bird chirping on a nearby tree branch. He had watched the passengers that alighted from buses that stopped here, hoping for the only student he knew to come down and greet him. The hope was draining at a steady rate, seeing that he had been waiting for quite some time now with no familiar female in sight.

Just then, a school bus parked itself in front of him. Again, he held out hope to the students disembarking the bus. There were so many of them with the same hair color, how was he to differentiate between them? Looking closely, most of them had long hair and occasionally in different hairstyles, she had short and slightly curly hair with no eye catching style. Perhaps she should be easier to find. If she didn't show up, he would have to sleep under a bridge tonight.

He caught sight of the same group of girls who whispered about him earlier, caught sight of their eyes glancing at him and hiding away when he kept his focus on them. After they were gone from sight, the bus was emptied of passengers when the final one descended down the steps. With a small gleam in her eyes, she walked over to him while a fond smile graced her lips. Sitting down on an empty seat near Piko, she greeted him cheerfully. He thought it looked too wide, as if she was relieved of something.

"Is that a rather forced grin or are you just happy to see me, ______?"

The moment that question left him, ________'s wide grin softened around the edges until only a happy expression remained. She nodded slightly, her cheerful feelings mellowed down to politeness.

"Yeah. I got into a bit of trouble at school today. I don't why it got to me that badly, so to see a friendly face is refreshing."

People got bullied all the time, it was pure luck she didn't suffer beatings today. There are people who have gotten it worse than her, so it was a good reason to trivialize the matter in front of Piko who didn't know anything about her yet. She was half sure.

Suddenly, she felt conscious of him looking at her directly without being distracted and tried to switch topics before her instincts listed him as a weirdo. Was it just her imagination playing tricks, or was he gazing rather . . . affectionately . . .at her? Maybe he was just happy to gain an opposite gendered friend, just like what she felt. Nothing to worry about.

"So . . Why were you here? On a meeting?"

"I was just waiting for you. I have no other friends except for you." 

Bluntly honest, and right off the bat, too. _______ knew she should just smile and tell him that he's doing a great job chatting up women, or brush off his attempt at flirting, but his words seemed to hit straight home as a rather alien emotion nicked at the corner of her heart. She wasn't sure why, maybe she felt happy because there was another loner like her in the world? Maybe it was sympathy for him, knowing that he would have to walk the same path she did in the near future? Either way, there should be more to his words. She continued interrogating him.

"You were waiting for me? Did you want to talk? Or is it something else?"

Her heart was bubbling with curiosity. Needless to say, she never had anyone wait for her on her usual route just to talk, or even to give anything to her, so this was a rather new thing to spruce up her life. A warm fluffy feeling seemed to cuddle into her heart at those words, too. She liked it and hoped to feel more of it again.

"Hehe, precisely. I waited here for you so that I can speak to you. I was not sure if you would come again today. Now that you did, it fills my heart with joy to know that my patience was not in vain."

His friendly smile that birthed after those words, and the gentle chuckle at the start of his words brightened up _________. He talked like waiting for someone was an important deal. Oddly, despite the fact that the words 'speak' and 'talk' held the exact same meaning, the use of them seemed to inflict distinct emotions on her heart. She hoped that she would not end up falling for him just for the reason that he used different words to form sentences. All this was unnoticed by Piko, who decided to get the conversation going before _______ bid him farewell.

"_________, I know this may be impolite of me to ask this of you. May I stay in your home tonight?"

The gentlemanly pillar that __________ built him into came collapsing down. She was shocked, and it was certainly not a regular request she heard. This was the first time she ever received such an odd request, and she didn't think it would ever happen to her. Judging by the way he phrased the question, she could trust him and let him into her home, or she could find him somewhere else to spend the night.

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden? And why my home instead of a hotel?"

"I do not have enough money on me to rent a hotel room, and I am unable to ask any favors of anyone else, since I am only acquainted with you."

"We just met today, but that doesn't give you permission to spend a night at a friend's house! How should I know if I can trust you?"

"I can assure you, I will not make any moves on you. Like you said, we've only just met, this is not enough for any of us to feel attracted to each other. I just need a place to lodge for the night, I have no plans on residing permanently."

Throughout the conversation, ________ observed his behavior. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. He had pretty clean clothes on too, did he steal them instead of buying them? Probably not. She was curious as to why he was searching for somewhere to spend the night, didn't he previously have a home? Was he booted out for some reason? She decided to question him further.

"What did you do to get kicked out of your previous home?"

"I do not know. I was living life like normal but all of a sudden I found myself out on the streets. And for some reason, I found myself unable to return. If it is about my habits that stop you from making your decision, I can tell you that I will adhere to every rule in your house."

"Every one of them? One of them includes not letting strangers spend a night there."

"Are we not friends?"

"I don't know much about you, for all I know you could be a serial killer based on the rather vague explanation you gave to me."

"If I were a serial killer, I would be busy trying to keep a low profile. I would not be waiting here for you to come. Do I look anxious to you?"

"This is a rather dangerous world, so I'm skeptical of you. I'm sorry that I can't help you, I should talk it over with my housemate before I let you in. I'll try to convince him."

______ could tell that Piko showed a slight interest towards her housemate, but she didn't say anything about him. Indicating for him to tag along, she stood up and walked off, in hopes that her decision was a wise one.


	14. Chapter Eleven : A Place To Stay

Chapter Eleven : A Place To Stay

It was evening. The sun was peeking from the spaces between the houses in the neighborhood, as if trying to keep its light shining at their brightest before the clouds drifted over. The sun's rays cast a beautiful serene light over every corner they could reach, keeping the nighttime's darkness at bay.

The keys in _______'s hands unlocked the lock that prohibited access into her home. It was already evening, surely Kurotane Piko would be home by now. The lights in her house were on, they were leaking from the crevices the door didn't block. She wondered how Kurotane Piko would treat this doppelgänger, since it could go both ways. He'd probably try and spread 'Pikoism' or feel angry for meeting a carbon copy who also bore the same alias as well as an unnaturally attractive face.

Either way, she wouldn't blame him, since they had the exact same chiseled jaw lines and same features, including matching hairstyles with the same strand of hair that acted differently from the rest of the lot. She wouldn't encourage them to be hostile to each other, but if she was in his shoes, she'd go for the latter since she'd feel replaceable if there was a clone made to resemble her. She'd hate to see someone act like her unless they had a valid reason. Otherwise, she wouldn't mind as much if there was someone that shared only her looks but not her personality.

She put her hand on the doorknob but before twisting it, she met eyes with Utatane Piko and pointed her index finger to the ground, indicating for him to stay outside. He smiled at her in response, which built up the nervousness in ________'s heart which she didn't know existed. If he wasn't allowed in, she would have to let him sleep somewhere nearby. Mentally going over what she would have to say, she opened the door and prepared to beg Kurotane Piko for Utatane Piko's fate that night.

~

Kurotane Piko was in his room, brushing off the leaves on his uniform. The tree was big and provided shade during hot days, but it also had the tendency to hoard leaves on its branches. The first time he climbed it, he caught sight of a bird's nest, hidden behind the leaf piles with five little eggs in it but the mother was nowhere in sight. Probably staving off visiting her children since there was a potential enemy nearby. He knew he'd probably be able to watch the chicks' lives pass by, since he'd be climbing up and down this tree numerous times. It cheered him up and temporarily relieved him of the problem at hand.

He had left the lights in the living room on, in case _______ didn't know his whereabouts. She wasn't home when he landed in the yard, it was odd for her to reach home later than he did. Despite her tardiness, he still worried. Maybe someone had caught up with her, maybe she was in trouble right now? But he couldn't help her if he didn't know where she was . .

Just then, the door of his room opened. ________ poked her head in, smiling.

"I'm home."

"What took you so long? You're late."

He didn't bother hiding his worry that crept into his tone when he faced her. She may have been only a few minutes late, but seeing the recent events it was enough reason for Piko to worry. _______'s earlier expression evaporated as he faced her after dusting his uniform. Her eyes veered to the leaves on the floor instead of looking at him.

"I guess you'll be bringing home leaves every nig—"

"You're not answering my question!"

His voice was a little louder this time. ______ had no idea that being a little later than the expected time made him so worked up. She walked towards him, and placed her hands on his shoulders before looking at him directly.

"I. Am. Fine. Okay? I'd let you check my body for bruises but you aren't a girl, so that's out of the question."

She took her hands off him and walked to the door. Piko sighed, he worried too much, after all. Her way of speaking was a little humor inducing, so she was possibly fine. He sat down on his bed, but he didn't get to rest long before he heard his name being called. Looking in the direction it came from, he saw ______ motioning for him to follow her. Without hesitating, he stood up and followed her, down to the living room.

"Next time, please come home sooner. After what my fangirls did, you should've been a bit more worried."

"I don't have to worry, because you'll be there for me~"

"As much as I like you relying on me, there're times when I can't be there."

_Just as much as I hate saying those words._

He liked those words coming from her. She liked him not because of his charms, and although he kept his fangirls busy throughout the day, she was there for him to rest and relax with. He was feeling dubious of her words, too. She said them with the same tone he used with his fangirls, so he didn't know if she meant them, either.

"Well, as long as we're still with each other, we can take the chance and rely as much as possible."

She didn't stop her tracks in the living room and walked outside into the yard. Piko followed suit, and soon they were out under the night sky. The stars twinkled, like beautiful gemstones in a dark cave. Under such dank circumstances, he didn't think _______ could actually bring home something instead of a friend he knew as well. If it was a girl, he'd probably know, since he had to remember the names of his fangirls to get on their good side.

"Follow me! I'll show you why I was late!"

________'s voice rang out. Her voice seemed to have a lilt, perhaps they didn't have to walk so far, after all. He wasn't keen on exploring in the night, even with _______ beside him. He feared not the dark, however, ending up lost within the twisting roads of the neighborhood just wasn't as appealing as traveling in broad daylight. Their house was built with the same design as their neighbors' despite being some ways away from each other, so it was going to be hard to recognize their house if they were wandering far away.

The gates of their house were locked, so she didn't go outside. Piko walked around the house to the back, only to see a rather peculiar sight. There, under the tree, was _________. Beside her was someone, with a dark hood over their head. Strands of light hair escaped the hood and reached down to their neck. Their head was down, looks hidden from sight. They were looking at ________, who waved Piko over.

Curious as to why ________ would bring someone and have them stay in the yard rather than in the living room, he approached the duo. Just then, ________ talked to the person beside her, and they looked in his direction.

As soon as their eyes met, both of them received a jarring shock. Neither of them were eager to accept the view before them, for the other was an exact copy of themselves. Beside the two Pikos, ________ was politely smiling into her hand, trying to mask her giggling fits.

"Who . . Who is this? Why does he look like me?"

Both of them turned to ________, who broke off from laughing and decided to do a proper introduction. Seeing the puzzlement on their faces, she tried not to smile again. She indicated to the white haired counterpart and started talking.

"This one here is Utatane Piko, with the same alias but not the same surname. And this one here with the rubies as eyes, is Kurotane Piko. If the two of you are going to be in the same place next time, I'll call you by surname to prevent confusion."

She added in a bit of humor to cheer Kurotane up, but it didn't seem to be working. Giving up, she went on to explain how she met this white haired Piko, but her housemate wasn't listening. He was glaring at Utatane Piko, with the mirror expressing distaste as well. Sensing the growing tension, ________ paused from talking and decided to observe their reactions.

"So ________ wasn't speaking in a metaphorical way when she mentioned me resembling you."

For the first time, she saw Piko exhibiting a rather hostile expression at Kurotane. He didn't say anything else, neither of them did. _______ decided to get straight to the point before they chose her as referee for a staring contest.

"He lost his home, so can he spend a night here?"

When they heard those words, both turned to her, protest written over their expressions. They didn't need to voice their opinions, the detest was apparent. She had no choice, the verdict was made. Adopting a suitably apologetic expression, she turned towards Utatane Piko.

"I guess that's his feedback for letting you stay, so—"

"Wait, _______. Let him stay, but he'll be getting the couch tonight."

Without letting any of them get a word in between, Kurotane Piko broke off and stomped back to the house, leaving the other Piko and ________ alone under the tree. ________'s eyes traced his back until he was out of sight, but the same couldn't be said for the Piko with her. After he disappeared around the corner, _______ placed her hand on his shoulder, sending a calming feeling that spread throughout his body. Soon, the loathing in his eyes softened as he turned back to her.

"I am sorry for startling you. I did not know that you were living with a carbon copy of me. Perhaps that explains why you acted rather surprisingly when you met me."

"Sorry about him. I thought he would be happy to see a twin, but I guess not."

She gave him a gentle pat, and walked back to the house with him tagging along. Locking the door behind her, she went to the storeroom under the stairs while telling Piko to wait for her.

"He may have said to let you have the couch, but I'm not letting you sleep there just like that. Don't worry."

She rummaged around in the storeroom for some spare blankets and pillows. Meanwhile, Piko was contemplating on how early he would have to leave tomorrow to not run into his lookalike who was upstairs. After _______ prepared some food, she gave him a helping, a brisk layout of the house and a goodnight before bringing the other two helpings upstairs. Thus, Utatane Piko was left alone with only his thoughts to keep him company.

~

His dark hair was spread out on the pillow, the room plunged in darkness. He wished he could sleep, but his mind wouldn't be put to rest. The past kept creeping up on him, now that he was in this house. He wasn't to be blamed for bearing a striking resemblance to him. He had a strong urge to destroy that lookalike, but at the same time, he trusted him to look after ________. She was important to both of them, after all. If there was something they both agreed on, it would be her. Surely he still prioritized _______ above all, they both did, a long time ago. Speaking of long time, it should wear off more easily now that new connections could tamper with it.

As quietly as possible, he snuck out of his room.


	15. Chapter Twelve : Making Plans

Chapter Twelve : Making Plans

It was morning. The third day of school this week. Despite her limbs protesting to get a bit of sleep, she forced herself to sit up. The alarm clock didn't ring today, so she must've woken up earlier than usual, or a faulty alarm clock. For some reason, her mood was a bit chipper today . .

_Oh, right._

Events of the past night flooded back into her mind. She let that white haired guy sleep in her house. He and her housemate had a falling out because of similar features but in the end, he was allowed to spend a night at her house. She didn't know why Piko changed his mind at the last moment, maybe he pitied him just enough to let him in? Either way, she was thankful that he wasn't out on the streets that night.

_How is he faring?_

The grogginess was gone from her mind now. With that question in mind, she washed herself and descended downstairs.

~

In the dining room, there was a rather odd sight. The two Pikos, sitting opposite each other, chatting. Second miracle within 24 hours. Yesterday night, they were almost as each other's necks, and now they've reconciled. Relief washed over her, she wouldn't have to worry over them breaking something in her house. She heard something whistling in the dining room, too.

Just as she entered, both caught sight of her. Despite their appearances, their personalities were different. Of course they would be, she thought. She could tell by the way they greeted her good morning :

"Morning, princess. Any sweet nightmares?"

"Good morning ________. Did nightmares haunt you last night?"

She greeted them back, with a negative for the latter question while opening the fridge to hunt for ingredients. Her attention wasn't at the two when they greeted her, but her impressions of both were enough for her to know who greeted her first. Oddly enough, both talked about nightmares instead of just a greeting. Perhaps their distaste with each other affected them in their dreams, too.

Finally bringing out some bread and peanut butter, she sat down at the table and proceeded to make breakfast. There wasn't anything on the table except for what she brought, perhaps both had eaten? She looked at both, making eye contact with each. Seems like they were both looking at her.

"Did you guys eat anything?"

"We woke up early today, so we had a chance to eat some cooked food."

At that response, _______ immediately looked at Kurotane Piko that answered the question, then her gaze flitted to the stovetop. There wasn't any sign of it being used before, but there certainly was a pot that wasn't originally placed atop it. Piko followed her gaze to the pot, but made no move of moving towards it. The other one spoke instead.

"I am sorry for not leaving any for you, that is why I made another one. It is almost done."

Uta got up from his chair and went to check on the pot. Heat whistled out of the pot lid through the ventilation holes, and billowed out of the boiling soup when he took it off. _______ took in his figure from the back. His hood was down and not covering his hair now, she could see how pale it was. After that, she averted her eyes to Kuro, who seemed to regard his counterpart with distaste.

"Oh? You can cook? That's cool!"

"Yeah. As much as I hate to praise him, he actually did a good job of making me unable to vomit it."

"Wow. Right in front of his face, too. . . Um, Uta, sorry for his attitude."

Uta waved off the insult despite the slight miff on his face when he turned around. In his hands was a warm bowl of soup. After placing a spoon into it, he slid the bowl in front of ______, who was already starting to eat her sandwich.

"I guess that is the highest form of praise I can get from him. He probably does not know enough words to describe it."

"To be honest, he wanted to do something to make himself useful. I wanted to charge interest, too. That's why we were talking this morning, he doesn't have anywhere to go for the moment."

Uta had a rather resigned expression when Kuro mentioned that sentence about interest. It didn't get to him as seriously as _______ thought, the expression was replaced by hope when he looked back at her. When he stopped talking, Uta offered up his own explanation.

"________, I know I mentioned about staying for only one night. I apologize for not leaving sooner, but I have nowhere to go. May I stay here for the time being? I need time to search for a new home."

"Yeah, he offered to do our housework when we aren't around. And from what I know this morning, he's pretty smart too. He can help us with homework, too."

"So, the both of you had gotten it sussed out when I was still sleeping?"

"Well, he was already awake when I was done preparing. I went to ask him about his plans, and that was his answer. We decided to talk it out before informing you."

After finishing her breakfast, ________ tasted a bit of the soup. It had cooled down a bit when Uta gave it to her, now it was just warm enough to drink. The soup had a thick red bean flavor, and there were also red beans in it. She smiled at Uta in response, earning a relieved sigh from him although he didn't ask about the soup. Seems like he was eager to know how it was, despite Kuro's approval in a sarcastic way.

"Now I remember why I liked this flavor so much. Thanks!"

"I had many books on how to cook, so I decided to try it when I found out about the unused stove in your house."

"Princess, the stove finally has a use! And I thought it would go to the dumpsters soon. Geez, Uta, now there's a piece of junk that can't go now."

"I guess that is your way of saying that I should cook more."

The bowl was small, meant only for tasting purposes so the soup was finished very quickly. ________ was reluctant to finish it, she wanted to savor the flavor but it was already gone. She looked woefully at it before getting up to wash it, hoping that she could taste it again soon. She made up her mind about his request.

"Uta, you can stay. You don't have to work all the time, though."

"Really? Thank you!"

She heard his joyful reply from behind. Just then, she felt him get up from his chair and walk off. After that, there was a sound of the chair dragging along with him, too.

"Uta, why are you dr—"

She turned around to question him, only to see a black USB cord half wrapped around said chair's leg. At first she wondered how a cord could appear out of nowhere in her house, but then her eyes traced the origin of the cord to the end that seemed to be under Uta's shirt. Her eyes widened as he knelt on the floor and hurriedly tried to untangle it.

"Why is the end of that cord under your shirt?"

"Um .. It is, attached, literally, to my spine . ."

"Well, cat's outta the bag. Along with his weird color theme, he has a long piece of computer device stuck to his spine."

Kuro, sarcastic as usual, piped up another hurtful comment. The shock wasn't present of Uta's face anymore as he straightened himself. He glared at Kuro, who merely looked back at him with a smile.

"Please do not insult me that way. That comment applies to you, too."

"I'm not even a part of an albino that you are made of, and my hair is not as attention grabbing as yours."

"We have the same strand of hair that is shaped like a hook. You have red eyes instead of white hair, and you have the cord too. Do not try to deny it, it is wrapped under your school uniform."

"Ugh . ."

This time, Kuro didn't talk back to him and groaned in defeat. He looked at the ground uncomfortably. This little exchange of words was new to ________. She had never heard of humans that were part cyborg, and to know that her closest friend and his counterpart were actually living proof of part cyborgs was pretty astonishing to her.

She finished washing the bowl and then walked towards Uta, whose left hand was gripping onto his tail. He looked wary now, as if he had committed a crime and was afraid of being put on the spot.

"Does it do anything?"

"What do you mean by 'do'? It does not have a life of its own, if that is what you are asking."

"Can it connect to anything?"

"Just slotting it will not do anything. I am half robot, I can refill my energy using this tail. Detailed information can be transferred to or from me with it as a medium, nothing more, nothing less."

_Just as I thought._

_______ was surprised that after all these events, she wasn't as stunned as a normal person should after witnessing this turn of events. Surely one would've ran away after seeing weird humanoid creatures or just knowing that they had odd features. She herself wasn't one of them, was that good or bad? She had no idea. To her, as long as the creatures meant no harm to her life, then she'd just pass them off as normal people.

Taking a break from her thoughts, she averted her attention from Uta to Kuro. This time, his face excluded nervousness. Observing Kuro's body, she could vaguely see the outline of a cord, wrapped around his torso but the creases of his uniform were making it inconspicuous since he was leaning back and only using two of the chair's legs, his own two legs on the support under the table. Now she knew why Kuro always sat like that every time she looked at him. How long had he been hiding it?

"Does this apply to you too?"

"Unfortunately, yes. We're both not really human, you know. I hope you won't end up hating me for hiding this from you . ."

The tone he used was laced with sadness, the last word was said with a dropping off of his usual voice, as if he was waiting for her to throw a fit at him or accuse him of being secretive about it. To his relief, she did neither after checking her watch. In fact, _______ didn't seem fazed in the slightest.

"We've spent enough time over this. We should be off to school now and not dawdling. Bye, Piko. See you tonight."

She meant the words for both of them. After Uta cleaned up the table, ________ went to fetch her bag. After sweeping the house keys into her pocket, she left. Piko watched his black haired twin climb out through the window instead of going with her, questions floating in his mind. Why didn't he go with her?

Now, he was all alone in the big house. He had no plans for that day, and decided to lounge around in the living room since there was nothing for him to clean. The house was pretty much spotless anyway, if he needed work, he could always get a job.

With that thought in mind, Piko decided to hunt for info on the computer in the living room.


	16. Chapter Thirteen : Morning Ruckus

Chapter Thirteen : Morning Ruckus

Once upon a time, the winged folk ruled the skies; the Angels the heavens. Each despised the other, the wing folk for upholding hideous appearances and mischievous pranks, the Angels for their absolute trust in the Creator and their dependence upon each other. A glare would be sent their way if they ever crossed paths, a bolt, little pricks of needle sharp accusations. They . . .

She came up a blank. Her eyes looked back out the window of her room as if expecting the answers to float into her view, but only the blue sky stared back at her. What an odd dream, but it didn't really come across her mind before she rested. Her mind always came up with dreams, and she couldn't trace the ideas back to their origins even when she could uphold remnants of the dream.

It was the weekend. Luckily, no one else tried to interrupt her at school anymore as long as she kept herself close to crowds. She hardly even saw Piko walking around the school compounds anymore, as if he was avoiding her. She told herself it was normal, he wanted to protect her even though he couldn't actually stay to watch her movements. Their classes weren't far apart from each other, so he probably had to leave very early when the bell rang to avoid bumping into her. _________ felt slightly thankful to him; he had been keeping his followers busy so that they wouldn't be hunting for her, but at the same time, she wanted him to be around. Just a little glimpse of him would be enough to her.

To be honest, she missed him. She hid herself from strangers and him, they only got to meet each other at home. Even then, there was another Piko that was doing their housework and was becoming a third member of their small party, they weren't truly left to themselves. Not that she was complaining, she liked both of them since they didn't dislike or ignore her.

Lately, it was as if the white haired Piko kept on talking with her if he wasn't doing something else with his twin. And if he wasn't with them, he would be doing a bit of housework; rearranging the dishes, wiping the cupboards, anything that could keep him busy. For some reason, he was often in her room, searching for books. ________ wondered if he was too bored when left alone in the house. When the two people returned from school, he had already prepared food for them. Even Kuro was less cold to him now, but not enough to stop his remarks and sarcasm towards him.

After living in the house for a few days, he was getting more comfortable and acted less like a stranger as he became more of a family member. He still slept on the sofa, as Kuro wouldn't allow him to sleep in either of their rooms. For the record, Uta never broke anything in the house during his stay and offered help whenever needed, proving himself to be a nice addition to the household. He was near perfect, never hassled nor quarreled even when Kuro was being a nitpicker just to goad him. One sweet little feature of Utatane Piko before he did any work was to tie up his hair with one of ___________'s old hair ties, sprucing his appearance. Whenever he did, _________ occasionally caught herself staring at him when he tied up his hair. He looked a lot tidier and, not to mention, more attractive without his long hair blocking the sides of his face. Uta seemed to like her mesmerized face whenever he caught her staring, but he only showed interest with a kind smile.

Whenever Kuro got sick of Uta's mature attitude towards him, he would lie in wait for him to walk past, then step or tug on his tail when it trailed past to get a reaction out of him. Since they had nothing physical to hide from _________ anymore, they would let their respective cords drag on the floor behind them; or hold them in their hands. Normally a small fight would ensue but they always made up the next day. Sometimes, Kuro would tug it a little too hard, which would elicit a rather girly squeal from the other boy. Both _________ and Kuro found it highly endearing, thus Kuro kept his cord nearby at all times to prevent Uta from getting revenge.

Both Pikos would often banter with each other in an unaggressive way, bringing liveliness to the atmosphere when it was too quiet. Perhaps they didn't mean to, but _________ was thankful to them for dissolving the tenseness she brought back from school. Her fear was slowly wilting and she was getting a bit more confident at operating alone. Occasionally, she would catch Kuro giving her glances whenever she looked his way as if wanting to know about her condition, but he never brought up the topic whenever Uta was around. During the times when he would gather up his courage and ask, Uta would seemingly appear around the corner, and he would be forced to pent up the curiosity in him.

Despite Uta's stay, he didn't seem to bring in any of his belongings to the house. He hardly went out of the house, but during the times when he did, the house would feel a little empty since he didn't have anything that stood out from the decor, or even anything that remotely depicted his likings and dislikes. __________ wondered if he had anything significant to him, sometimes. It was as if he'd disappear at any time and she wouldn't be able to recall his presence that once resided in this house.

There was one minor problem with Piko. He often busied himself with little jobs, thus hardly giving himself a bit of rest. The only pieces of clothing he had was what he always wore, since he had nothing else. He always bathed, and each time he would just wear his soaked clothes again. Kuro would act like he never noticed, and when _________ asked for his help, he'd ask for something else in return from either ___________ or Uta. Since Uta had nothing of interest to give him in the first place, it was always ________ who took it upon herself to pay for his help. However, it was not in the form of currency, he never asked for those but he would charge her in the form of affection, a hug, or comb her fingers through his hair, anything a couple would do. His reason? He claimed that she wanted attention from him, she should feel lucky that he extended this courtesy to her and not his fangirls.

The first time he requested this type of payment from her, she didn't mind since she liked touching him, but then the payments started to escalate into kissing, sitting on his lap during dinners, sleeping with him during nighttime and other daring moves. They were getting a little overboard just to pay for lending a few sets of clothes to Uta, and ________ knew she couldn't go on like this. She only continued to appease him because she didn't have time to spare for the mall after school.

After eating breakfast, she went to do her homework. The television was blaring in the house, obviously Kuro must've been enjoying himself. As he turned around to face her, the volume of the television was lowered and he sent an affectionate gaze towards her. Today, Uta was at the kitchen making something for himself so there was no one to disturb Kuro. ________ walked towards the living room to check out the channel but was soon pulled onto his lap, her leg dangling over the edge of the couch. Without wasting another moment, he wrapped his arms tighter around her torso and buried his head in her shoulder, almost pushing her down onto the sofa.

"Ahh~ I've missed you, princess~"

His muffled voice tickled her neck. The sudden action had startled _________, she certainly didn't expect him to act like that all of a sudden. Heat had risen to her cheeks, Kuro was never this open nor affectionate towards her before. He'd become more clingy than usual, whenever she was talking with Uta, he would butt in sometimes when the two had been talking for a while. Yet when they weren't chatting, he was keeping his distance. She was curious as to why he had different gestures towards her, it was as if he would only intercept when she and Uta were getting close.

"He-hey, Piko, what's gotten into you all of a sudden? Are you feeling sad lately?"

Her heart that contracted the hiccups just before had calmed down a small bit once she started talking. At that comment, Kuro raised his head a little, his hair brushing against her cheeks. Then, he turned his head, making eye contact with ________. She couldn't tell if he was sad or if the light in the room was playing tricks; his one eye seemed to look soft and it glistened with the presence of tears. That look evoked an instinct in _________, who felt sympathy for him although he hadn't told her his reason.

"Ever since Uta started living here, my daily dose of you has reduced to nearly zero . ."

"Dose of me? Just being around you isn't enough?"

"No! Utatane Piko's trying to steal you away from me . ."

"We aren't anything yet, excuse you."

Kuro didn't say anything else, he just nuzzled into the crook of her neck and said nothing. ________ wrapped her arms around him too and smoothed his hair, earning a smile from him. Just then, the other Piko walked around the corner, just in time to catch the view. His eyes widened and he started to backtrack to where he came from. Remembering that she had time to visit the mall today, ________ shook the Piko in her arms lightly.

"Hey, we aren't alone now. This is also a rather awkward position, so let go of me."

"Hah . . I can't hug you anymore?"

His voice now had a childish lilt to it, portraying his reluctance to let go of her. She tightened her arms around him for a while and released him, hoping that it would fill up his '________ meter', as he called it. With a satisfied smile, he let go of her but lowered his arms to her waist instead, and laid his head on her shoulder.

"What, still not enough?"

"Of course not, I wanna relive the moment~"

"You'll get to hug me later, please let go now. I want to get up."

This time, he sighed resignedly and detached himself. ________ hurried over to the dining room, where she guessed Uta was. She peeked in, only to see him wiping down the table and chairs on the dining room. He moved around the dining room, appearing to be extremely busy. Despite the rushing around, his cord that trailed behind him made the scene more comical than serious, knowing that he could trip over it if he wasn't careful.

"Hey, Uta. You don't have to do all that, you know. We're gonna be sitting there soon anyway."

"I have nothing else to do, _______"

"I guess that means you're free, then. Will you go out with me?"

As soon as she said that, Uta turned around slowly and met her eyes, an apparent blush on both him and _______. With his long white hair framing his face, ________ thought he looked more cute than handsome during the times when he was being shy. She resisted the urge to cuddle him.

_I guess Kuro's way of talking has grown on me, too._

"Um . . I mean, will you join me at the mall today? In a platonic way."

_________ recovered quickly from the embarrassment, but Uta didn't. He turned his face slightly to the side, his bangs blocking half of his face as well as his blush. This time, ________ turned away too, and met eyes with Kuro, who was standing behind her. He made eye contact with _______, smirked in a mischievous way and started towards Uta, stepping on his cord on purpose afterwards. The latter flinched, ________ couldn't imagine how painful it would be since she didn't have a cord of her own for anyone to step on.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Don't ignore her. Are you joining us or not?"

"When was there an 'us?' I don't remember asking you, Kuro."

"I want to go out with my princess~"

"Are you sure?"

_______ recalled the last time they went out, their time together was memorable. So did the events that occurred afterward, in a bad way. She didn't know if she should let him come along this time. Kuro paused as he faced ________, a look of total seriousness.

"Yes. I'll wear a hoodie like he does!"

Hearing Kuro mention him, Uta reached around and tugged on Kuro's cord. The latter jumped back, and fell on his butt on the floor, his foot releasing Uta's own tail. He rubbed his spine, his own face scrunched slightly in pain. Seeing the exchange between the two lookalikes, ________ giggled.

"Please do not laugh at us . ."

"Oh! Princess, you smiled!"

"So are you guys joining or not? Or are you gonna play tag with each other?"

"Ah, ah, we're coming along, give us a minute!"

Kuro was the one that replied. He got up and dragged Uta along to the dressing room. The two of them disappeared, leaving _______ who walked back to the living room to wait for her turn.


	17. Chapter Fourteen : Trip To The Mall

Chapter Fourteen : Trip To The Mall

She'd always visited the mall by herself, since she liked to enjoy the cool air and the small library inside which was especially quiet. During the holidays, she would read there just to get away from the silence in her home. It was just a stone's throw away from her home, so it wouldn't take her long to travel there.

Never would she think that one day, she would be accompanied by a pair of twins. With identical clothing, their hoods were up and covered a considerable part of their hair and faces. Both of them had tied their hair to the back, their bangs let down to frame their faces. Kuro had even let a bit of his tied back hair show on his shoulder, whereas Uta kept his own completely behind his neck. Nonetheless, they still looked very beautiful. How many times had ________ been lost in her thoughts on the topic of beautiful boys? She had certainly lost count.

To her surprise that day, Uta had no idea what a mall was, much less what it looked like. Kuro took it upon himself to explain it along the way to the mall, using witty comments while describing the appearance of a 'mall', earning infrequent laughs from both ________ and Uta. His descriptions were rather spot on, too. _______ thought it was pretty kind of him to explain instead of leaving the question hanging.

Even as they reached the parking lot, Uta was still looking around and studying the way cars moved in and out of the parking lot. ________ replied to some of his questions; Kuro was the one who took up the answering role.

"These are called 'automobiles', Uta."

"Oh? What do they do?"

"See those sweet round wheels? They bring people places."

"Where?"

"Well, anywhere the owner of the automobile wants to go. Also, the ca—automobiles, operate based on their driver's liking."

"So they bring their owners to places. Where? Why?"

"Haven't I replied to that question already? Well, there are places too far away for our feet to handle the weight of the body, so they exist. But if the owner isn't careful, the automobile will end your life."

"Eh? Why?"

"That's why there's something called a 'driver's license'. A driver is a person who operates these automobiles, and one without a license is not allowed to drive them. Or else the automobiles will get a destined job of bringing people to the ends of the world."

"Kuro, you sure are patient with him. Are you thinking of him as a girl?"

"Yes. On a more specific scale, I'm imagining you in his place."

"Hey Uta, he just called you a girl."

Uta merely looked irritated but didn't comment on it. Despite that, he continued asking questions."

"Why do they bring people to hell? Are they sentient?"

"No, like I said, they only do that if the driver isn't careful. If you ever pick up girls, always remember that, Uta. I don't want you to tarnish my name out there when I'm not looking."

"I do not think I can pick up anyone."

"Not in a literal way, I mean when you flirt with girls and they are happy to be in your company. If you have an automobile, you can bring them places, but again, if you drive them recklessly, you might end up hurt, more in the physical way. The girls in your automobile will get hurt, too."

"I see, I think I understand, now. Do you have a driver's license, then?"

"Of course I do, that's why I can bring my princess to places. No matter where we are, she likes them anyway and is extra susceptible to me~"

His words were light and cheerful, ________ couldn't tell if he liked to flirt with her because he liked her too, or if he flirted with every person of the female species. Either way, she understood why he showered her with affection whenever he liked.

"We're here, guys."

She walked through the automatic doors and grinned as the cooling breeze engulfed her. They were at the lowest floor of the mall, this floor was the entrance for visitors so there weren't any stalls placed in this floor. They ascended to the higher floors with the escalator, with _______ explaining the uses and the functions of the escalator to Uta this time. She felt happy to share her knowledge to him, although he probably knew about them already.

However, when they stepped off the escalator, Uta looked around at the crowds and started to look a little nervous. His head started to droop, until he was almost looking at the floor. His hands were jammed into his shirt pockets, too. ________ and Kuro took notice of the signs but only the former decided to act.

"What's up? See anyone you dislike?"

" . . . .no . ."

"Then why are you looking nervous?"

Her curiosity went unanswered. Uta started to move closer to _______, his eyes darting to the sides as they approached the inner part of the mall. Kuro started to walk faster with his head down when the crowd closed in on them, which only made Uta even more wracked with anxiousness. ________ presumed that perhaps he was afraid of getting lost among the crowd, which was understandable. Since they were probably the only ones he was close to, he would want to stay close to them physically.

Instinctively, she touched his arm, which he responded by raising his head and looking at her. Without missing a beat, she slipped her hand into his shirt pocket and linked their hands together. Afterwards, she led him through the crowd, trying to follow Kuro who was waiting for them at the corner with unreadable eyes that followed their navigation. Uta had his eyes on ________ the whole while, an utterly innocent smile directed towards her back.

"Uta, you have very pretty eyes, even more beautiful because they're mismatched."

Once they left the crowd, that was the first thing _______ said to him. As expected, it took him back by surprise as he only stared at her with wide eyes. She grinned at him, paying almost no attention to Kuro who was seemingly left in the corner by himself. Uta didn't feel very comfortable with her words although she probably meant them in a friendly way, since Kuro kept his gaze on Uta the whole while. He tried to ignore the holes he was boring into him. When the duo reached Kuro, ________ released her grip on Uta.

"Um . . Thank you."

"You're welcome. Hey, Kuro, will you be going with us to the clothing compartment?"

"Oh? Yeah, I'm coming along. But I want you to hold my hand all the way there."

"Why? Haven't I spent enough time with you already?"

"Nope. I won't ever get tired of you, princess~"

"Oh, no wonder you kept staring at Uta. I thought you were starting to have the hots for him, seeing that you keep looking at him—"

"No way in hell! I've sworn myself to one person only!"

"Oh really? Your actions and words contrast greatly~"

"Terms and conditions apply."

Despite her protests, Kuro managed to pull her by her hand along the way, with Uta playing the silent observer behind them. The two continued teasing each other as Uta took the chance to observe and adjust to his surroundings. His heart wouldn't calm down, however.

~

Although the wares on that floor were dedicated entirely to men, they weren't being picked by the men themselves. So far, _______ had only seen women rifling through the racks, occasionally measuring them against those they probably came along with.

She didn't want to walk into the crowds and end up being squashed somewhere, thus she walked somewhere far away from the group hastily. Kuro wasn't going to try his luck with them either. He followed her out of the crowd with ease, but then held her arm and pulled her away. His eyes kept darting to her, looking in her direction but not at her. Before _______ could ask him anything, he dragged her off and took a number of twists and turns. He even walked around a few racks twice for apparently no reason. .

She knew he never took advantage of her trust, he never did anything odd to her, so she didn't ask anything. She knew he wasn't an airhead to walk around the same racks more than once. He most probably knew what he was doing, as he didn't lift his head at all during the process. Sometimes, he would pause, and walk back the way he came from, always in a hurry whenever he turned. Soon, they were at another corner that was hidden from any unwanted looks, but there was only the two of them here. When Kuro finally stopped, _______ took in her surroundings and it suddenly dawned on her.

"Oh wait, where's Uta? Did we somehow lose him?"

She looked around, nervousness taking hold of her heart. How could she be so careless on his first day here? Sure enough, he wasn't anywhere nearby, either. Kuro's expression fell short of hers, however. Uta's wellbeing was certainly the least of his concerns.

"He probably couldn't keep up with us, it'll be best if he stays lost—"

"Hey, don't be like that! He doesn't have a phone for us to contact him! He hasn't gotten into anything, right?"

" . . .oh."

_He finally gets it. Better than being a prick, I guess . ._

Her concerns didn't rub off on him that much, however. For some reason, _________ wasn't actually as nervous as she should have been. She never experienced the feeling of being ditched behind by friends, mainly because she never came here with any friends in the first place. But she couldn't just leave him to wander alone in the huge mall . .

"Kuro, let's go look for him. Even if you don't want to."

"What, really?"

Of course he was going to whine. _________ glared at him with a face that left no room for complaint. Sighing in defeat, Kuro followed her retreating figure to the place where they last saw him.

_Where could he be . .?_


	18. Chapter Fifteen : Lost

Chapter Fifteen : Lost

Utatane Piko felt very nervous and uncomfortable. All he had seen for a few minutes now was completely unfamiliar to him. Racks, shelves, the occasional counters, and people. People everywhere, with not a single face he recognized. He made sure that his hood was still up, his hair would bring a lot of unwanted stares if a large part fell out.

He was with ________ and Kuro a few minutes ago, how did they disappear so quickly? When he caught Kuro holding ________'s hand and weaving between the crowds, he had suspected Kuro trying to throw him off their trail, but after walking around, he had heard his own name repeated many times among the ladies. Since he was sure that he had never met them before, they must have been talking about the other Piko. Judging by his rather egoistic attitude when they were talking and the affectionate way he treated ________, Uta knew how famous he would be if other girls received the same treatment. His looks would only add more to his charm, but if he himself had the same face . .

Uta pulled his hood down a bit more. He didn't want anyone mistaking him for the charmer. No one would believe him if he said that he never dyed his hair or that his eyes were not artificially colored. Since none of the women were actively hunting for Kuro, Uta couldn't follow them in case he ran too far away. He decided to wait near the elevators, since either ________ or Kuro would see him when they thought of switching floors. He crossed his fingers and hoped that they would arrive soon, he didn't want to end up finding a new place to spend the night.

~

"Hey Kuro, have you ever brought any other girls out on a date before?"

"Nope."

"Then, what exactly did you use to raise your reputation and keep it that way?"

"I used my charism. What? What else did you expect?"

"Oh, you know, the usual . . Bringing girls out on dates which you said you didn't do, flirting and the norm."

"I could do that, but you're better to take care of."

"Oh, thanks. Special snowflake~"

"Yup. If only I could say the same for Uta, though. We wouldn't have to go on wandering around, wondering where the heck he is."

"That's not really his fault, you know. He's our age but doesn't know what a mall is, he must've been a rather closed off kind of guy."

"He must've known. He can't possibly not know."

"Are you saying that he was just acting clueless?"

"Maybe. He's always talking to you at home. If it's not you, then he's doing something else. He's not willing to talk to me."

"He knows he won't receive nice words from you. Almost everything that you tell him is about how bad he is at something. Can't you be kinder to him?"

"I'm trying, can't you see? I hate him for a reason too, you know."

________ decided to change the subject. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear Kuro pride himself for being more superior than Uta as a reason. Once Kuro had stopped navigating through the crowds, he had hid at a corner and asked ________ to block the people's views of him; he wanted to adjust his hairstyle. When he turned around, the hood was still on, but he had combed some of his hair to the front to cover a large part of his forehead. His hair was long at some parts that seemed to dull the color of his eyes, but otherwise, nothing else had changed.

_______ smiled sweetly and clapped slowly at him when he asked for her opinion on his face. He replied by sending her a dubious gaze, as if he was contemplating whether she was mocking him or not. She could almost imagine him raising his eyebrows at her questioningly, if he hadn't already covered them. ________ decided to change floors; Uta could have went exploring on his own. She started walking off, Kuro trailing beside her.

"Yay or nay?"

"Nay. We haven't found Uta yet and I don't see how your new hairstyle helps you. If you really had to hide your face, bring a pair of sunglasses next time. No one's gonna blame you for preferring to see the world in monochrome."

"I happened to wear pants that had no pockets today."

"You can hang your sunglasses on your clothes. They don't always have to sit on your nose when you don't need them."

"Ok, remind me next time."

"Or stay at home more often?"

"No way! Uta's always there when I want to talk to you! Times like this are precious to me."

"Is there anything important to say to me now? Do you even have anything new to say? Exclude the part about having new fans if you do."

"Well, you're beautiful."

"Thanks, but if you really didn't have anything to say, a 'nothing important' will do, you know."

"Oh my gosh, you're just so beautiful that even Athena doesn't hold a candle to you! Your smile is so radiant that even diamonds are put to shame! Your—"

Kuro started gushing excitedly about _______, earning a giggle from her. She knew it should have been offending, but to her it was pretty funny. If their relationship wasn't so close, she would've told him politely to cease the pander, but since they were so close, she wouldn't mind letting him have a bit of victory. As they rounded the corner, _______ caught sight of Uta sitting near the elevators, strands of white hair showing from underneath his hood. Kuro stopped talking too and stared at him instead. _________ suspected that his mood would sour now that Uta was back in her life. Slowly, she approached Uta and spoke to him as kindly as possible.

"Hey, Uta, sorry for leaving you. Are you okay?"

At her voice, his head perked up as Kuro's expression turned neutral. Uta paid no attention to him, his eyes seeing only ________ in front of him. His eyes showed relief but his voice was melancholic.

"Oh, ________ . . You came for me . . Thank you . ."

"We won't abandon you, you're too precious to be let alone!"

_______ attempted to cheer him up in a light tone despite Kuro's disbelief. She hoped that Kuro wouldn't confront her about it in front of Uta, she didn't want to talk in a roundabout way to appease Kuro but make her look like a liar to Uta. Luckily, Kuro kept his mouth shut.

Uta didn't look like he believed her one bit but managed a smile nonetheless. His face when he stood up remained fixed at her, it was obvious that he had been waiting for her instead of Kuro. He looked down after a while.

"_______ . . . Please do not leave me alone like that again . ."

Despite his calm expression, both could see that he had been shaken to the core when they got separated. ________ couldn't imagine how he felt, she didn't have anyone to separate from unwillingly. She knew she could take care of herself if she got lost, she had money on her.

_Try to look after him a bit more closely. See how nervous you made him when he got lost today._

"Uta, since you're with us now, let's go buy some clothes for you. If you're still feeling afraid, I can hold your hand for you."

"N-No . . I am already feeling better."

Kuro had said nothing when they were conversing, but his walking off indicated that he hadn't been daydreaming even though they hadn't mentioned him. He paused some ways away from them to make sure that they could keep up with him. ________ let Uta walk in front on her just in case he got lost again.

"If you can't find anything you like, I can lend you some of my clothes. They aren't girly, I swear."

"Thank you. Even girly ones are better than letting you do favors just to borrow some clothes for me."

The trio walked off back to the clothing section.

~

Kuro wouldn't choose any clothes for himself, saying that this trip was for Uta only. Despite the fact that ________ allowed him to browse his own needs just in case she and Uta took too long, he insisted on sticking around. The trip may have been exclusively for Uta, but he didn't even know what he liked. He was better off with both of them choosing for him, he said himself. ________ took her new task seriously, but Kuro would often walk to the females' section and pick out girly dresses for Uta, which he would request for him to wear them but never received an affirmative. Overall, the trip was enjoyable and Uta got some new clothes for himself, much to Kuro's minor disappointment.

"I guess you won't be letting me cuddle you anymore, princess?"

"Yes. If you're longing for company, there's this beautiful guy here—"

_______ pointed towards Uta who gave a rather unhappy look that expressed his disagreement to being cuddled by Kuro. Seeing the mirrored expression on Kuro's face, she grinned.

"Please refrain from recommending me to be a temporary cuddle pillow."

"Princess, I'm not using him! I'm not in love with him!"

"Such irony coming from you, Kuro! I thought you've always been narcissistic about yourself. Wow, many shock!"

"Don't quote memes at me, princess!"

"__________, is that a D O G E meme?"

"Yeah, how did you know? Don't tell me, you've been searching the Internet for that?"

"Maybe I should not tell you, then."

"Uh, sorry Uta, that's only a figure of speech. I mean, did you search the internet for that?"

"Yes, _________. I was originally searching for jobs and came across those."

"How odd. Normally those don't pop up on ordinary websites. Wait, why are you searching for a job?"

"I felt like a burden just being in the house, so I went ahead and decided to find a job. Just a part time one, however."

"You've really done a lot at home. Won't you overwork yourself?"

"It is nice of you to worry over me, ________. Thank you, I can assure you I will not overwork myself."

"Did you get a janitor's job? You're doing a great job cleaning up the house for us."

"I received a job to be a barista. If that janitor job is so memorable that you decided to recommend it to me, you should take up that job yourself."

"Now, now, let's not fight here. The both of you can do that when I'm not around."

________ intervened before Kuro could snap a retort. Uta looked like he had more to say, but decided to keep his thoughts to himself and turned away. Kuro seemed to have a protesting look, but didn't say anything either. After the both of them had calmed down, ______ walked between them to ensure peace among the group until they reached home.


	19. Chapter Sixteen : Breakdown

Chapter Sixteen : Breakdown

When they reached home, _________ went to her storeroom to search for an empty drawer to put in Uta's new clothes. Both Pikos didn't go with her; they were at the living room sorting out Uta's clothes. As she rummaged around, she could hear their conversation clearly.

"So, which one of our tastes do you like?"

". . . _______'s."

"What? Why? I picked out the ones that would suit you!"

"If you had been kind enough to exclude the frilly dresses when you were picking clothes for me, which you obviously did not, I would have given you some thought."

"Who wouldn't ask you to try on some dresses? I've gotten those requests before, you know."

"Did you have to do that to me, too? Also, why would you ask me to wear a dress?"

"You look like a girl, that's why. I bet that if _______ asked you to wear them, you'd listen to her and smile at her afterwards if she asked that of you."

He didn't receive an answer or even an acknowledgement. The two of them were quiet for a while, the sounds of plastic being emptied of its contents the only echo in the rooms. Just then, _______ finished her work and started dragging out an empty drawer. Both Pikos came to her after hearing the sound of wood against marble from the storeroom. Uta regarded it with curiosity while Kuro tried to help her push the drawer.

"_______, how do you plan to use that?"

"It's for you to place your clothes, Uta. Kuro won't be sharing with you, I know he'd rather hog his whole wardrobe than dig out a hole for your clothes. I'd share mine with you, but I don't think you'd like how messy it is."

"She's not lying. Although you've made her happy lately, she's doesn't like you enough to tidy up her wardrobe for your clothes. After living with her for so long, I daresay she's never spared some time to tidy it up."

"That's coming from a guy who used to look through my wardrobe for my underclothes, so I can attest to that."

______ tried to keep a straight face when she said those words. Somehow, she didn't feel embarrassed to admit it to Uta in front of Kuro. Seeing their aghast faces, she tried to hold in her glee but let a smile slip as soon as Uta's accusing gaze switched from her to Kuro.

"How could you commit such an action during your stay here?"

"Whoa whoa, I've never done that! Don't look at me with those eyes!"

"You know, I never meant that in a bad way. He helps me with folding the laundry sometimes, so it's normal."

Even though _______ had just resolved their conflict with that sentence, Uta continued to glare accusingly at Kuro, as if she never said anything at all. She decided to leave them and continue pushing the drawer towards the dressing room. However, it was her turn to be shocked when she saw the mess on the floor.

"Okay, which one of you decided it was a good idea to leave clothes on the floor?"

She thought the clothes were left on the dining table to be looked upon and to be placed back into the plastic bags, but judging by the dump in front of her, the other two had different ideas. Clothes, definitely Uta's new ones, were spread on the floor as well as the dining table. Although _______ knew she shouldn't have needed to make a fuss since they would be washed afterwards, the untidy sight still grinded her gears.

_________didn't really expect an answer, but it came soon enough. This time, she could not tell who replied, as there was only a stutter to be heard. Both Pikos should not be overreacting just by a question, but they were scared nonetheless when she pivoted to them. Surprisingly, Kuro merely gazed at her warily whereas Uta was seemingly edging towards the back of the drawer. _________ narrowed her eyes as her attention alternated between the two.

". . . What's up with you, Uta?"

She was sure the tone of her words were merely curious, but Uta flinched when he made eye contact with her. His lean form shrunk further behind the drawer, as if it were a shield. Kuro's attention now switched to the cowering Uta, waiting for another scene. _______ approached the boy, hoping that she didn't scare him that much.

"Uta? What's wrong? Did I say something wrong to you?"

________ tried to soothe Uta, but he wouldn't say anything else in reply. However, _______ knew she was making progress when he no longer tried to hide further behind the drawer once she crouched slightly in front of him. His eyes kept looking somewhere else instead of straight at her. Slowly, _______ extended her hand and touched his shoulder lightly, a friendly concern lacing her tone.

" . . . I . . uh . . Didn't mean. . . to scare you."

Would an apology cut it? She had no idea where she went wrong, and Uta seemed to be too shaken up to tell. No matter how carefully she scrutinized him, she just couldn't make head or tails on why he acted as he did. Her eyes sought Kuro's for guidance but he was focused on the drawer. Suddenly, he turned towards the clothes that were left forgotten on the ground and jabbed the drawer with his elbow. The sound took Uta by surprise, his attention temporarily averted but enough for Kuro to distract him.

"Uta, go make something for _______. She probably used too much of her energy just to bring a drawer."

No one said anything as Uta walked to the kitchen on autopilot. He didn't reply or even make a sound to indicate that he heard the request. _______ had no way of knowing if Kuro said those words to deprive Uta of his breakdown or if he just hoped to attack him and got a different result instead, but she didn't say anything. Perhaps Uta had dwelled on a bad memory and felt glad that someone gave him a task for him to help him avoid it, she didn't want to make him reminisce that by asking about it. Kuro gently reminded ______ of the clothes that were dumped on the floor but once Uta was out of earshot, his previously solemn face lit up amiably.

"Oh, he finally left! I was worried there for a moment."

"Wait, you weren't trying to help him?"

"Half and half. He's always with you even when I'm around, it's making things hard for me."

"What things?"

"You know, the time when you said that we should watch our back ever since you got hit?"

". . . Oh, that. Nothing's going on now. No one's after me now, things are pretty tame lately. You didn't see anyone following you back, right?"

"Nope. I've taken many routes to throw them off, if there were any. Are you sure that no one bullied you when I wasn't around?"

"No one has picked a fight with me so far. Trust me, there's nothing to worry about. I'd tell you if something did happen."

"How about that time when you were talking with those two girls? They didn't pull any tricks, did they?"

" . . I see that you now have a stalking habit. No, nothing happened. We just talked, emphasis on 'talked.' They didn't threaten me or anything. Do you really not trust me to not get into trouble that you had to follow me around?"

"No, not that I don't, I just don't trust people who talk to you. I'm sure that you'll shy away from strangers, but I'm not eager to say that no one's going to come up to you when you are alone."

"It's nice to know that you're worrying about me. Just keep your distance, okay?"

" . . I will. If you're hurt, you don't have to hide it. I'm here, I'm just as much in this as you are."

He stopped talking after that and _______ didn't try to keep the conversation going as it was heading into shady territory. The atmosphere did not brighten up as much after that conversation, but neither attempted to talk again. _______ could feel herself tense up at those comforting words. If she spilled out the fear to Kuro now, Uta might come out and she would have to recount everything that happened to him, and she was sure that telling the whole story to both Pikos wouldn't help her to calm down as much as being alone.

Once they were done, Kuro looked at ________ and grinned. He pulled out his USB cord which had probably been wrapped around him for a while and let it trail along the floor as he started towards the kitchen.

"Let's go play a prank on Uta, hmm?"

"Are you sure? He just had a breakdown. Wouldn't that be ignorant to his timid state just now?"

"It'll help rid him of his earlier trepidation."

Without waiting for a reply, he disappeared around the corner. Worriedly, ______ followed him. The short silence was soon followed by a rather high pitched squeal. As ________ entered the kitchen, Kuro's hand retracted from Uta's cowlick as Uta shot daggers as him. Kuro's glee contrasted deeply in comparison to his twin's current expression.

"Please refrain from tugging on my hair, Kuro!"

"You know you could've just gotten some water from the fridge for _______, right? Why did you take so long?"

"I merely wanted to make a special beverage for ______ . . I wanted to make sure that the process of making it would not stray from its original recipe."

"I see. Good job on keeping up a barista's morale. Hey, _______'s here now, let her try it."

At her name, Uta turned around to greet her. He no longer looked afraid as he was before, ______ noted. When their eyes met, he smiled amicably and handed a cup to her. She could feel the warmth rising from the beverage in her hands.  
Its contents were light green in color. _______ had a feeling she knew was it was, but she asked anyway.

"What's this?"

"Green tea. I took so long to make it because I had to boil some water to make this."

"Oh. We hardly have any use for hot water here except for warm showers. That's why we normally don't prepare any."

"I guessed as much. Is that the reason why I can't find a thermos flask in your house?"

"Precisely."

_______ took a small sip from the tea. The strong taste seemed to work as a sweet herbal drink that replenished her strength and relaxed her muscles at the same time. She saw Kuro watching her curiously with his hand on a nearby chair, and Uta awaiting her comment on the tea. However, her vision and judgment started to blur as she toppled backwards and released the cup from her hand.

"Oh . . .What . .?"

She registered the sound of both men rushing towards her, trying to stop her from falling as the cup smashed into smithereens on the floor. Their panicked voices called her name as she was pulled down into unconsciousness, but there was no reply she could give. Finally, her senses came to a complete halt as the abyss awaited her.


	20. Chapter Seventeen : Awake

Chapter Seventeen : Awake

Her room was in pristine condition. Despite the many years of neglect, its cleanliness and tidiness was still preserved. The room had many racks, all filled with humanoid toys that were placed in such a way that one could tell that they were arranged by a pair of skilled hands. Their faces all looked towards one single direction; the middle of the room which was occupied by an ordinary bed.

The person who laid atop the bed had curly and shining hair that cascaded down her back. The longer parts seemed to flow from the bed to the ground, some of them even pooled together at different parts of the bed frame. Her eyes were closed, the serene face of a sleeping beauty without a single blemish that inhabited her face or even her body. Delicate hands were folded modestly upon her midriff; anyone who once bore witness to this maiden's winsomeness would forever engrave the innocent allure within their minds.

Very slowly, she opened her eyes and blinked as she surveyed the room she was in. Lifting her legs over the side of the bed, her hand rose up to her head as if trying to nurse a concussion. She conscientiously sat up in an elegant posture, her vision clearing and focusing on every detail of the room. Her slim eyebrows scrunched up slightly as she tried to comprehend her surroundings.

"Where . . is this?"

As energy started to flow through her veins again, she pressed her weight onto the floor and tried to stand up. The silence in the room seemed to give her strength, although there was no other sound for her to pick up. She vaguely remembered this place, her room where she kept all these dolls. . . The room where she often spent her time in. Mistakes that she had made throughout her life were proven to be indelible, never meant to be forgotten lest she let them recur, they were all kept here in some form . .

While she tried to filter through a block in her mind, a sudden pounding came from the wall to her right. She swiveled around to the origin only to watch the wall collapse, the debris shooting towards her in a haphazard fashion with no specific target. She tried to move herself away from them but the numbness that occupied her body during her slumber had frozen her joints, making her nearly incapable of dodging them. The rocks rained onward, jagged sides leaving minor cuts and wounds on her.

Just then, another person came barreling through. Their back collided with hers, sending her sprawling onto her bed in an unladylike fashion. His weight caused pain to her body and she fell backwards due to the force. Despite the protests from her still rejuvenating body, she tried to shove off the person who was currently curled on her abdomen. With a few ill-placed pushes, they gave off a guttural sound and got off of her.

Compared to the woman's dress which was slightly crumpled due to their sudden crash, the man's apparel had more than just tousles. His disheveled clothes had a lot of tears in it, revealing many scars that weren't fully healed. His deep red eyes looked at her for a moment before they widened with silent realization. Without further ado, he pushed her down onto the bed and pressed a finger to her mouth, hushing her before she could say anything. The woman was about to protest against his actions but his warning gaze pierced through her sudden anger and tempered it down.

Right after the collision, the sound of heavy boots echoed through the room and faded into the distance. The two of them froze as another pair passed ominously close to their location, but fortunately whoever it was did not consider rounding the corner into their room. After they disappeared, the man let the woman push his hand off her mouth but whispered angrily at her before she could even speak.

"You! Why did you wake up? You said you'd lay low!"

"Like I wanted to wake up!"

Now the woman didn't really know what he was talking about, but an indignant answer was already spouting from her lips. She didn't know why she was furious to be questioned that way since she was still clueless as to why these events happened in the first place, but her emotions were proving hard to bottle up. At her answer, the man sat up and studied her expression, the anger on his eyes dying down a bit as understanding clouded over.

"Oh. You still don't really get what's going on, right?"

"Yes. Care to enlighten me?"

"First, look at that doll down there. Are you familiar with it?"

He pointed towards something at the side of her bed. Her gaze curiously followed the direction he was pointing at. Just beside her bed, a small lump of white could be seen. It was a doll curled up in a fetal position, just another one out of the many dozens in the room but the woman felt a strange feeling as her eyes rested upon the it. Something was nagging at the back of the block in her mind, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

" . . I can't remember."

Now that she thought about it, this man who was currently with her was also someone whom she was previously acquainted with, too. Long black hair with the left bangs slightly longer than the right, ruby red eyes, that strand of hair shaped like a hook that refused to stay down, all those features connected to something in her mind. Were the people who passed by just now also formerly her friends? No, they couldn't possibly be. Why would she feel chills when she heard them?

"Try. Do you really not know?"

"I don't think so. I don't even know why I'm here."

First off, why did she wake in this room with no memory of how she got here in the first place? This one doll she saw which was just white in the shape of a human, it stood out more than all the others. Why would it, and how would it? It wasn't dressed at all, no facial features, the shape just resembled a human but there was nothing else. The rest of the dolls were dressed grandly, some with makeup, some which bore more semblance to animals than humans, but out of all that, this doll was engraved deeper in her mind than anything else. .

How about the bed? It was just a rectangular thing, long enough for her body to fit comfortably without her limbs hanging out of it. It didn't have any decorations or carvings in it, but it wasn't uncomfortable to lie on. She thought she would wake up on a pink bed with beautiful flowers and girly things placed on it, but it didn't seem to be the case. She felt like she just woke up from a nap, why did she feel a special connection to this room? Was it just a room she always slept in, hence its familiarity to her?

If only she could remove this block, she thought, then the answers would come to her. She wouldn't have to sit here feeling stupid, if there were answers then she'd know what to do next. But as she surveyed the room and the big opening in front of her which led to nowhere, she suddenly felt very helpless. Was she supposed to rely on someone at this stage, or run? If she chose to run, where to? The man in front of her was looking at her patiently, as if waiting for her to say that she'd remembered something. However, she just couldn't figure out anything. Irritation sprouted within her, she wanted answers, and she wanted them now.

"So, can you fill in my memory?"

The man straightened his posture and looked at her again, his expressions betraying nothing to her. Suddenly, he looked back at the broken wall, urgency written all over his face as something else echoed from it instead. The woman looked at the rift, but there was nothing she could see, nor could she feel anything unusual from it. She was about to ask, but the man now picked up the white faceless doll and pushed it into her hands, still not saying anything about her memory.

"Keep this one with you. Trust me on this one, don't lose it."

"Why, what about it? What will happen to me if I let go of it?"

"I would've liked to tell you, but I can't. There's a low humming in the distance, they're coming."

"Why? What's coming?"

The man didn't answer any of them, despite the desperation in her tone. Without hesitation, he dragged her towards a crowd of dolls and laid her in their midst gently. The dolls were large, and their numbers were enough to hide her body. Again, the woman couldn't get any answers from him. He rubbed something over her bare forehead and soon her eyelids were drooping, her energy draining from her. His last words before she slipped off sounded apologetic, but she wasn't sure.

"Stay safe, I'm sorry that I can't do much here."

The words as well as the unknown spell took out the ground and the scene from under her and she fell.


	21. Chapter Eighteen : Portal

Chapter Eighteen : Portal

_______ didn't know how long she had been unconscious. However, the only way she knew something had happened when she was asleep was that the lights in the kitchen were slightly dimmer than usual. She could practically see the rays of light that shone down from them, did her eyesight suddenly improve when she fell asleep? No, it couldn't be. She hadn't been stressing her eyes lately, so what in the world happened?

She pushed herself up from the floor and looked at the first living beings she saw. The two Pikos, Kuro probably trying to hold her up or trying to stop her from falling, but was paused mid motion with his USB cord he pulled out earlier still hanging. The other Piko was looking at her with his eyes wide open and hands slightly raised, also frozen in his place. ______ could see traces of his concern starting to show but he was at the other side of the table, maybe he couldn't rush to her in time. Why were they frozen? Did time suddenly stop? How did she end up on the floor in the first place and not her bed? How did everything that wasn't her stop suddenly without warning?

She checked the floor. Nothing that could've tripped her, except for a broken cup and a slightly green beverage that poured out from it, half of it still floating in midair while the rest of it was now a stain on the ground. Other than that, the still process of the cup was like a 3D painting, enchanting to look at. Despite how closely she stared at it, she couldn't see any traces of harmful substances in it.

_Obviously you wouldn't be able to see it, you were drugged after all. Did you really think a knife would be in there?_

This green tea . . Given to her by Uta who wanted to know how he would fare in his bartending job. She got the drink because she had been pushing out a drawer for his clothes . . Kuro, who was innocent since he was with her the whole time. After she took a sip from the tea, everything went black. Uta probably drugged it, but why? All the occurrences that led up to this moment came rushing back like an unblocked dam, the friendship and other ordeals poured into her. How did it all have something to do with stopping time?

_________ knew she wouldn't get any answers by staying on the ground, so she got up and started to walk around. Everything in her house was still the same except for the unfortunate cup, but other than her, nothing else looked out of place. The clothes Uta received from them were fine, they were folded and placed on the dining table. The drawer, still in the walkway of the house and not the dressing room. Other than that, there was nothing else that was notable. Unsure as of what to do, ________ headed back towards the kitchen where she first awoke but accidentally bumped her hip on the wall. She expected her hip to feel pain but when she looked at it, it was the wall that got chipped.

She widened her eyes in surprise and stared at it, trying to let the oddity sink in. How was the wall so breakable? Before she could fully comprehend what just happened, cracks started to spread from the very same chipped off part towards the entire wall. Her sight followed the trail and ended at the corners of the wall where it slowly and completely turned to dust, revealing a midnight blue seam held together by a string of the same color that ended with a bow on top of it. _______ knew it wasn't supposed to be there, especially not even behind a wall in the first place, but she couldn't help her feet that moved her closer and closer towards it.

Reaching the weird little sight, she looked around at the still intact walls that surrounded it. She picked up a random object lying around and poked at it, it gave way like fabric but didn't tear at all. After placing the object on the ground which was holding her weight fairly well, she traced the tips of her fingers up the string and soon found them hovering over the bow as there was no more string above it to trace. Before she knew it, curiosity stemmed from her heart, her fingers itched to unravel the bow, and the next thing __________ was conscious of was the feeling of her palms pushing at the curtain just as the string came undone and floated to the ground, its duty failed. Throughout the process, she felt no fear, merely awareness and an unknown yearning. What was beyond this dark veil?

She expected to walk right into an abyss behind the curtain, but to her surprise, she saw a study room. The whole place was full of books with colorful spines that she never recalled having seen them before. In the middle of the room was a dome that was inside a cage with so little space between its bars that ________ could only get her wrist in. She eyed the dome for a while and then strayed towards the books that laid on the ground with their first pages wide open. Their pages were drawn with sweeping black brushstrokes that spoke of fecund dreams despite being devoid of color, the characters within almost had life in them. Enchanted, she flipped through the pages. Each of the pages were without words but the settings and placement of characters were so skilled that it was as if their actions and choices were doing the narrating. Were the other books the same as this one, too?

Just after she closed the book, she heard something so low that it was almost inaudible. She tore herself away from the other books on the floor and looked at the magical curtain, which simply flowed gently in response to her questioning eyes. No sooner had she let her guard down than Utatane Piko rushed in, the curtain billowed in his direction when he entered. He looked straight at _________'s wide-eyed expression and heaved a sigh of relief. However, it was short-lived as he started running around the room and purposely toppled every bookcase that held all the other books, opening every book that was previously closed before. Disbelievingly, _________ watched him, her lips slightly open with no words coming out. Why was he messing up the room and why was he looking so afraid? Hesitantly, she called out after him.

"Uta, what's going on?"

She didn't receive a reply. While a frantic Piko was pushing over bookcases like a madman, different voices sounded from the outside of the room. Now feeling frightened, _________ switched her attention to her house outside just in time to see Kurotane Piko rushing around, throwing furniture towards the place where they and ________ had previously been. The sound of heavy objects against heavy objects resonated so loudly around the house that it seemed like the sounds of bookcases falling flat in front of her were soft whispers compared to the ruckus outside. She wondered what she was supposed to be doing other than standing at the corner looking like an idiot.

Before she could say anything, the room was now jam-packed with books all over the floor. Uta didn't say anything else nor did he even acknowledge her question. He wrapped his right arm around _________'s back and lead her towards the open books, with the latter unsure of what was going on around her. Uta pressed his palm onto the nearest book, and from it, colors started to spread through the pages like wildfire. Characters and animals inside each book started breathing and moving around through the pages. Mesmerized, _________ watched sparks rocket skyward from all the open books and explode into small fireworks with blinding light, prompting her to cover her eyes. Amidst the spell, she vaguely heard a voice that probably belonged to Kuro since he was further away from her.

"Uta, hurry up! They're coming."

If Uta heard him, he showed no signs of it as he held _________ tighter in his arms and waited for the light to dim. As soon as the outlines of the mountain of books were visible, he carried her up and held her above a book. __________ saw her feet and her body parts that were closest to the book start to separate and shatter like fairy dust and fall into the book's colorful pictures. Now truly alarmed, she started to struggle although she felt no pain. Just as she was about to fall out, Uta clutched her closer and whispered something into her ear. His urgent voice calmed her down a little in the chaos and just for a moment, _______ wondered if it was only his voice that was real.

"Please don't resist, I'm trying to help you. Once you enter, run. Just run, don't go anywhere that you aren't familiar with. Whatever you do, do not ever come back here."

With that message, he let go of _______ and she free fell into the book, the last embers of her existence floated upwards towards the ceiling and faded from sight. The last scene she saw was Uta bounding over her towards the large pile of books and Kuro some ways away from the curtain, trying to sew up the rift with a needle and string before being shoved roughly away by something. As dark colors spread over her vision, she heard the low voices of screams that sounded so far away from her before she let herself lose awareness of her current situation.


	22. Chapter Nineteen : Hazard

Chapter Nineteen : Hazard

__________ woke up to find herself on the cobblestone street of a certain town, thronging with villagers. The sky above her was a gentle blue, with clouds that looked like animals floating past her vision. After the events that rushed by too quickly for her to fully comprehend her situation, the atmosphere of the current village was a nice change that gave her enough time to let things sink in. Everything around her was just filled with people getting their daily chores done, running errands, just any normal day where no one even considered the thought that something could ruin their lives and mess up the mood.

She stood up after a while, since the uneven ground wasn't as comfortable as she thought. How long had she passed out? It was a miracle that no one had stepped on her yet, or they were probably just observant and thoughtful enough to not push their soles upon her. Regardless, she was pleased to find that there were no footprints or dust on her clothes when they were previously in contact with the ground. Somehow, she felt like she knew the places around her, had she been here before? Probably not. _________ concluded that she must've been reading too many books to think that this place would be familiar to her.

Before the thought slipped through her, something else drifted through her mind. . . . The echo of a person who spoke to her to run, to not ponder about their safety . .

_Once you enter, run. Just run, don't go anywhere that you aren't familiar with._

The sentence hadn't even finished its message and suddenly _________ had leapt to her feet, her heart pounding in her chest as she took off. She didn't know where to go, what to do, or if she was required to retrieve something. Neither did she know why she was suddenly racing through the streets, ignoring all the villagers that sent her strange looks. She knew that she should've taken the chance to explore, or even to question Piko's motives for asking her to run, but she wouldn't stop. Despite his rather impolite action of drugging her, she still trusted him. Again, another question to why she trusted him, she should've been aware or even wary of him. However, neither of those emotions were present whenever he was in the same room with her.

She had just swerved around a corner when she heard a cry. Whipping around, ________ scanned through the villagers, only to see a child in another alley clawing at his throat and screaming in pain. She wondered if she should stay back to see if the child's condition had something to do with the unknown danger that was on her heels, but there was no choice to be made. Before she could return to running, the child's throat swelled until all the veins were outlined clearly and spread throughout his body. The child could no longer yell as now his face was a round ball.

Then, his skin started to peel off his head and body, revealing the young flesh underneath. Arteries burst and blood sprayed from him as his flesh started to rot away onto the floor until all that was left of him was a standing skeleton with blood and fresh meat around it. The skeleton collapsed into a pile of old bones afterwards and dissolved as a black smoke seeped from the carcass into the air.

________ had covered her eyes when the child's skin had started to fall and thus did not see all of the process, but the sounds from the pitiful child was enough for her to keep running. She turned the opposite direction and ran, not wanting to experience that pain herself if the smoke infected her. The villagers that happened to stand too close to the smoke were its early targets, the ghastly symptoms spreading to them as well. Their screams of agony ripped through the tranquil town atmosphere as fear and insanity ran rampant among the innocent villagers that had witnessed the gruesome deaths of their fellow neighbors.

Soon, _________ heard the villagers behind her stampeding for cover, their shrieks like banshees that signaled the end of lives. She had no idea how to stop the smoke from stretching its grip towards the corners of the town, nor did she know how to avoid it either. Sooner or later, it would kill her if she was coincidentally within its reach, and that would be the end of her journey. She had half a mind to face it head on and end her life there and then, but she couldn't summon up the courage to do so. Why should she, anyway?

After she had placed a good distance between her and the town, the roads that led to the capital seemed to look eerie. As she neared a fork in the road, she looked back to see the survivors running away with no destination in mind. Out of instinct, she started studying the way the smoke moved. It seemed to leech towards anything that breathed, ignoring any places that were sealed off. Like the insides of the houses, maybe. The smoke didn't gather in one place either nor did it have a source that could stop its advance, it moved around like a sentient being in search of food. Whenever it consumed a living being, its size didn't expand. It was like a predator that always remained hungry.

Soon, it would come for her once the town was emptied of its residents. From the outside, the town already looked like a war zone with dead bodies everywhere, so there wasn't a lot of time left for other people who were on the run.

__________ picked the lane that pointed to the left and kept on running without her energy being depleted. After running, she spotted a small house that probably had people living in it, and on the other side of the it was foliage. Ahead of her, the lane appeared to leer menacingly. If ________ went ahead, she wouldn't know where to go anymore. A feeling inside her told her that she could stop here for the time being. Would she have to start looting supplies? She didn't know how long she had to stay in this dreaded place nor did she know her purpose for being here. Was there anything else here to do?

" . . .what . . What is actually going on here?"

Looking at the choices in front of her, she let out a burdened sigh. She had no desire to wade her way through the foliage since they wouldn't offer much protection form the deadly smoke, but traipsing ahead didn't sound like a good idea either, since her energy was bound to run out later. At least she could warn the people that were living in the house, though for no good reason since they seemed to be safer inside than outside. Her gut was telling her to run past the house and go on, but her mind was telling her to seek shelter.

With no one to guide her and offer help, she made up her mind to warn the denizens in the house. Misery loves company, at least she would feel happy that she helped someone during her last moments when the smoke caught up to her. She cautiously placed her hand to knock, but the door itself wasn't locked. Quietly, she pushed the door open, ready to jump back if anyone saw her. Her nervousness almost blocked out her hearing, but there was nothing to calm her down from facing her impending doom.

She snuck into the house and locked the door behind her by jamming the brass knock, and found herself in a spacious living room that was completely empty. None of the furniture had any layers of dust or even dust at all on them, so the people that lived here were probably out for a while. If they were to run back after seeing the smoke and caught her here, she'd be done for. She could either lie her way out or tell them the truth, although she wouldn't have a solid reason, fake or true, for being in their living room with no errands or even any business that required her to be there. Despite that, she felt comfortable because there was finally somewhere where she knew how to live in. This place may not be her place to be in, but it reminded her of the long adventure that had taken her so far away from her old life.

She almost lost herself in nostalgia when a commanding knock sounded on the door. In that instant, all the warm emotions that gave her a temporary solace left her and was quickly replaced with shock while a chill ran up her spine. For a moment, ____________ was rooted to the ground, unsure as of what to do. As her mind tried to grapple for the most logical course of action, the knocks sounded again with strong bangs that followed shortly after.

She had no weapons, there wasn't anything light enough in the living room for her to carry and throw with accurate precision. Thus, she couldn't fight with weapons, but if she ran into the recesses of the house, she would probably be trapped and die a horrible death, at the complete mercy of her captors. The furniture around her was probably pushable, but with the speed and strength of the knocks, blocking the door couldn't possibly be done in such a short time. She couldn't tell if the outsiders meant harm or peace, but judging by the knocks, they were probably going for the former.

If she was quick, she could probably run out from under their noses, evade their arms and continue on her way. If she was unlucky, she might be caught quicker than if she hid somewhere, but hiding was only postponing the inevitable. Her time was running out as the knocks turned into full on banging as if there was a war outside.

_Fight or flight. Which one should I go for?_

a. Fight ( proceed to ♘ )  
b. Flight ( proceed to ♞ )


	23. ♘Chapter Twenty Choice One : Fight

♘Chapter Twenty Choice One : Fight

_Well, fight it shall be! I won't go down easily!_

Quickly, ________ dashed towards the part behind the door after picking up a porcelain vase. The vase seemed to be empty but its sheer weight alone was making her arms wobble out of stress. Not that her arms were the only ones protesting, her nervousness was starting to make her heart race too. As hurriedly as she could manage, she positioned the vase above her head and prayed that her arms wouldn't give out and send the vase smashing onto her head instead. Luckily she didn't plan to throw the vase anytime soon, it wouldn't even make it out of her grip to her intended target. All she had to do was swing it onto the intruder's head, push them away and dart out of the house.

However, what came next? What should she do once she was out of the house? Where should she go to seek shelter? All that lay ahead of her seemed to be this intruder, the door and the dark future that awaited her no matter which road she went. Run until her legs shook from fright and lethargy? No matter what, the deadly haze would consume her eventually.

The more she thought, the more her will wavered. The banging on the door didn't cease but the door still stubbornly stayed in place and its hinges refused to creak. The longer ________ kept her hands above the vase, the heavier it became, as if trying to make her put it down. Despite this, she knew she couldn't, she certainly shouldn't put it down. The door could break apart any moment and if she was unlucky enough to have set the vase down, then all that would stand between her and the intruder would be the door and the vase that she couldn't pick up a second time.

Thoughts rushed and pummeled each other through her head and the the adrenaline was prompting her to run, but she stayed rooted. Her eyes were glued to the door, hoping that her position was a good one. She couldn't really stand in front of the door and risk being toppled over by the weight of the vase, neither could she stand far away and take a chance to throw it. No, she had chosen a good place; she couldn't leave and make up a new plan in such a short time.

Finally, the door was thrown off. Without hesitation, _______ violently swung the vase around the entrance and pushed it upwards as much as she could towards the head of the intruder. However, she felt the vase slip from her palm at the last moment and there was no sound that indicated the vase breaking. For a split second, she panicked whether she hit her target or not; but there was no time to wait as she was already sprinting around the door and ducking under the intruder's arms—

Her feet almost lost their footing. Ahead of her was a dark red void with completely no platform to hold her weight. Out of instinct, she flung herself back onto the solid ground of the house's entrance as the smoke that terrorized the village earlier started extending its hateful tendrils around the silhouette of the door and soon they engulfed the space that previously had an opening. The walls started crumbling too, and behind them was nothing but pure despair. From her vast experience of playing platform games, __________ knew that if she ever found herself falling down this endless hole, then she was truly, completely done for.

Her plan had just come collapsing down. There was no more road nor open window to lead her out of the house, the only way she could prolong her death was by running through the corridor of the house towards the other rooms. From the windows, the haze was engulfing the house. She didn't want to know where they came from but she definitely knew she wasn't going to bungee jump and hope the ground would catch her. If there was a back door, then she could probably run out that way and hopefully leave this wretched house. Without thinking her plan through, her feet pushed her up and she started running through the unknown layout of the house.

The house wasn't very big from the outside when she first caught sight of it, but she certainly hadn't accounted for the numerous doors that led from the dining room. She knew that she didn't have the luxury of checking what lay behind every door, so she went with her gut and started towards the door that she favored the most since all the doors were far away from her. Not that any of the doors were decorated with anything remotely fascinating, but she couldn't explore anything with such little room for margin of error.

The doorknob of the first door relented and she burst through, not knowing what lay beyond it. The corridor had plenty of stained glass windows that illuminated the danger outside, warning her not to stop. Her feet pounded on the floor as the windows started shattering and the smoke made its way inside. With each step she took, her breathing became more haggard and her strength started to wane. How long could she go on before her precision failed her? She refused to let her fear overtake her determination and continued to twist around corners. Would the smoke get off her trail and leave her in peace?

Wasn't there any way to stop the smoke from catching up with her?

Steadily, __________ started slowing down. Her face turned just a few inches to keep track of the smoke, but there wasn't anything chasing her anymore. All she saw were the pieces of glass that lay behind her, sealing off the way back. The only way she could go was forward, but there was nothing hot on her trail now. The warm rays of the sun shone brightly from the broken windows, illuminating the stained glass on the floor. To truly leave, all she had to do was raise her legs over the empty window frames, swing her feet over them, and walk away . .

It looked just like any sunny day, the perfect weather for a picnic. Had she imagined it all? The smoke, the nonexistent door, the furniture . . . The house? What about the way back? The sound of glass giving way under the pressure had rang behind her a few moments ago . . . Where were they?

Within the corners of her mind, something whispered comfortingly as if persuading her to calm down. The words promised her a peaceful and uninterrupted life far, far away from these nightmares that could erase her. If she could unclench her will and relax, then it would all be chased away and leave her forever . . The words were so tantalizing, and so close within reach. Just as she was about to let herself get swept away by bliss, a voice called her back to her senses.

_No! Don't give in . ._

Just like that, the illusion melted away and the glass continued to dance around her again in piercing shrills. Frightened, ________ prepared herself to bolt but this time there was truly nowhere to go. The glass flanking the sides of the road in front of her were now lying on the ground, and glass frames that led outside were no longer spacious; the smoke had occupied the once preen plain. She couldn't go forward or backwards unless she wanted the glass shards to pierce her feet. Tendrils wrapped around her legs and started spreading upwards, preventing her from turning around. They coiled around her whole body and started to hurt. She was trapped now.

"You were so hard to catch, and so speedy too. However, you gave up in the end . ."

From the void that surrounded her, a honeyed voice echoed as if the speaker was stalking around her immobile body. She could feel the malice from the tone caressing her body and started to shiver from the coldness. The rope around her mistook it as signs of struggling and gripped her like a vice, drawing blood.

She saw multiple pairs of cat eyes looking at her. Floating around, they regarded her closely. Soon, they formed into a blade and came down without any hesitation. ________ shut her eyes and braced herself for the impending doom; clinging onto the smallest sparks of hope that someone would save her.

Unfortunately, hope extinguished itself in the face of despair and help never arrived. Her life was forfeit as the blade sliced _________ in half.

~BAD END~


	24. ♞Chapter Twenty Choice Two : Flight

♞Chapter Twenty Choice Two : Flight

_I can't compare strength with strength, the best I can do is run._

With that in mind, ________ took off down a random corridor of the house and left the living room behind. With no destination to move to, all she could do was run until she could conceal herself somewhere. The best idea she currently had was hide, wait for the intruder to walk away from her hiding spot, and get out through the open door. The banging outside the entrance was increasing in strength and velocity but the door wasn't giving way. If the door broke down eventually, then she couldn't use any way to take the enemy down. If it came to a battle of wits, maybe she could lure the enemy into the approaching smoke outside. After that, drop everything and run for her life.

Was there any place waiting for her? Was there anything she had to trigger to leave this hellhole? Or was she supposed to take refuge somewhere and wait for assistance? If the answer was the latter, _________ didn't know how long to wait or what to do during that time to keep herself alive. She wasn't sure if she would get hungry in this unrealistic world, nor did she know how to survive in this place. If she held hope and waited, there was no guarantee that someone would come and help her. So far, she knew of only one name that would probably try to shed light on her current situation as well as the danger in this world, but they weren't here right now; she would have to make do.

Before she could prepare herself any further, she found a dining room in front of her. The wall in front had many identical doors that decorated it. Judging from all of them, they lead to different rooms of the house but only luck could tell which one was able to lead her to a safe place. With no way of knowing, ________ chose a random door located on her right and proceeded to twist the doorknob. It crumbled to ashes in her hands and the door dissolved too, revealing a bedroom swathed in many gentle colors.

In the middle of the room was a plush bed with a few life sized dolls the color of peach sitting crosslegged at the feet of the bed. There were dolls the shapes of adults, teens, and children, and some of them were placed fastidiously so that they faced the window. However, the sunlight coming from the window didn't reach the dolls at all. Looking closely, ________ thought she saw the dolls glowing on their own with their white silhouettes emanating bright fairy lights. Did they belong to someone that still lived in this house? She felt like she had just invaded someone's privacy by setting foot within this room, but the presence of a window in this room was relieving. She could jump out of the house through the window since this room was on the ground floor, and probably run somewhere where the smoke and intruder wouldn't reach her.

Suddenly, _______ heard a girl's voice humming a tune. She turned around and saw a stranger with long curly hair holding a piece of paper in her hand. Without warning, the stranger looked behind her and started running towards _________, taking her back by surprise. She was about to bolt, thinking that the girl had caught sight of her but she merely ran right through _________ and into the room. As her body brushed through ________, she saw that the girl's outline emanated fairy lights just like the dolls. Frozen in place, _______ watched the girl's actions.

She walked around the room and inspected each of the teen-sized dolls closely without paying attention to the child dolls and the adult dolls. Whenever she chose one, she would stop in her tracks and hold up the doll's face, as if judging the compatibility of the doll to something. Finally, she settled on a lean one and pasted the piece of paper on the doll's forehead. She then summoned a small light and started to write something on the piece of paper with it. _______ watched her finger trace slowly over a letter . .

Just then, someone leapt out from the piece of paper that was pasted onto the doll's forehead towards ________ and grabbed her hand. Reflexively, she jumped back but then the figure in front of her materialized into a face she knew well. It was the face of the person who had warned her to keep running once she was in this world, how did he know where she was? As austere eyes started to color themselves into existence, Utatane Piko talked agitatedly to her.

"You're finally here, ________. They did not get you at all, did they?"

At his words, ________ remembered the situation she was in. The intruder far behind her that had probably busted the door down by now, the smoke, the villagers that died a gruesome death, and the destroyed town. The previous fear was now starting to take hold of her as the memories flooded back into her, and all she could do was shake her head. Noting her fright, Piko placed his free hand comfortingly on her shoulder and stared right into her eyes, probably attempting to calm her down. _______ noticed that he wasn't wearing his normal hoodie but was donning a weird looking outfit instead.

His hair that was almost always tied up was now flowing freely around his head, the rim of his dress-like outfit had cyan lights flickering on them, and he was wearing detached arm sleeves with an azure jewel the color of his left eye on the outside of each. His USB cord tail was trailing behind him freely behind black leggings and odd looking boots. Overall, he looked like a cybernetic version of her friend with his new clothes, but his eyes still contained the same gentleness that he always directed at her.

"I know you do not want to go through all that again, but there is still a long journey ahead of you. All I ask is that you keep yourself safe and alive so that you can be saved. That is why I asked you to run, you are being hunted."

Pausing momentarily, Piko glanced behind her and his eyes widened. Without waiting for _______ to say anything, he wrapped his arms around her and fell backwards. ________ turned around at the last moment and saw the dark red smoke start to seep into the room but they were repelled by the ashes of the doorknob she had touched earlier. She felt herself free falling through the same doll into a dark blue void with Piko clutching her tightly. Once both of them fell through, he ripped off the aforementioned piece of paper from the inside of the doll and kept a tight hold on it. ________ had no idea why he did that, but she wanted to get some peace and forget about the twisted world she had temporarily been in.

With its absence, the doll started to crack and its companions shattered too. However, the girl that had previously been sitting beside it was consumed by the smoke. ________ saw a gnarly claw with many cat eyes inside it press itself onto the doll, as if searching for a way to follow the two. Before she could comment on it, Piko gently turned her face away until she was looking at him. Looking at her sorrowfully, he ran his fingers through her hair and pressed her closer to him. It was a move that her friend normally wouldn't do, but she was too relieved to find a companion that no words came out for fear of breaking this comforting illusion.

"Please entrust yourself to me for the time being, _________. Nothing can harm you while I'm here."

He was kind enough to shield her eyes from the smoke, but she could hear sounds of crumbling glass behind them as they descended down the void. She didn't want to survive on her own with nothing to guide her, but there was no decision to make. The adrenaline had left her unable to relax, but soon she felt her wakefulness waning and fell asleep in Piko's arms, dreaming of a time where she would not face death again.


	25. Chapter Twenty One : Defense

Chapter Twenty One : Defense

It was completely dark around her.

She wasn't cornered anymore, was she? She wasn't picking up any malice from her surroundings, it was just peaceful around her. Piko wasn't anywhere to be seen either; had he released her when she fell asleep? Damn him. Now she was all alone in a strange place that she had never been before. As she neared the ground, she started seeing hills on square platforms, houses without foundations and what looked like a town separated by grids. Their size grew larger the nearer ________ approached them.

She landed none too comfortably on a flat piece of ground. Situated beside her was a small countryside cottage and two large hills that looked straight out of a fairy tale, and the rest were grass. Nothing else caught her eye but the view of the cottage that gave her a sense of familiarity. The field of grass and the hills behind the cottage, were they inhabited by any village folk? Warily, ________ made her way towards the only house there since this time she couldn't feel the same familiarity in that village to run. Piko had told her not to go anywhere that was unknown to her, after all.

Just like the time she unraveled the bow that had sewn her house together, the tips of her fingers felt around the wooden door. At her touch, the door swiveled open without any resistance and revealed an empty room. The house was made completely out of wood, thus the floorboards squeaked no matter how quietly she trod on them. At the sounds, her heart rate picked up and she refused to venture further into the dark house for fear of any creatures lurking inside.

Rooted to the front door, _________ was at a loss of what to do until she felt her shoulder growing warm. Light crept from the rising sun between the hills and gave her a clear view of her location. The skies above her head were dyed in pastel colors and with multicolored clouds floating ahead. The shelter in front of her wasn't a cute cottage but a house in shambles; its walls let in light since half of them were torn off. However, ________ couldn't see any marks that hinted at what made them this way. The house could've probably been half destroyed before she even set foot here. At that thought, vulnerability started pulsing in her veins. Here she was, standing outside a house that barely hid its contents and a sitting duck to any threats around her.

As if tuning in to her state, a feeling of dread started to drift around the cottage. Tinges of dark red appeared out of nowhere and polluted the sun's rays; the entrance of the house morphed into a snapping jaw of sharp needles. All around ________, the peaceful surroundings took on a malevolent form. Dark colors spread through the ground and into the sky, and the sight struck ________ as something she'd witnessed before in the village. Before she could take any course of action, a pair of arms wrapped themselves tightly around her. Her instincts kicked in and she was about to struggle out but the owner started talking. His voice calmed her down.

"_______, my apologies for leaving you all alone here just now. I won't let it happen again."

That was all Utatane Piko said before he let go of her and faced the monstrosity in front, but his words held strong conviction. Whether he could keep his words or not would be proven soon enough. To _______'s surprise, he drew a concave shield out of thin air and positioned himself in front of her, with no sword or spear as an partner. ________ wasn't sure why ( or how ) he pulled out a shield when the environment didn't look like it could be pushed back, neither did she know if his weird-looking outfit was posing as a hindrance into him when it covered half of his thighs. Judging by its length, it would surely irritate him if he tried to run in it.

"Um, Piko, that dress you're wearing doesn't look very comfortable."

"It isn't supposed to."

His reply was abrupt when he spoke of his 'dress', and the tone indicated that it wasn't a welcome topic to talk about. _________ felt like she was offending him, and chose to change the subject.

"Are you sure the shield is useful here?"

"I trust it to be able to serve us. Look."

He pointed towards the front where a mass expanse had covered the plain. Looking closely, _______ could see cannons pointed directly at them. They were unmanned but looked dangerous enough when pieces of the ground started breaking apart and formed into spiked balls for the cannons. There was nothing else except them, the cannons and the needle hell behind them. ________ still thought that running was better than defending when the equipment that Piko chose wasn't even suited for this arena.

"What can a shield do here? Shouldn't we leave?"

"Is there any uncorrupted place for us to go? ________, please just trust me. Now is not the time to be explaining, I promise I'll tell you about this place later."

"Assuming we'd still be alive then!"

"I'm sure we'll be able to leave soon. Keep behind me." Piko replied uncertainly. He kept his eyes focused on the cannons and didn't once look around him. ________ could feel the tension rising as the cannons took aim directly at them. As soon as fires were lit, the sky got darker as if the process alone was speeding up time. As the sky fully darkened, the cannonballs that had settled within the cannons started to glow with pastel colors. With deafening blasts, the cannonballs were fired.

With each shot, Piko dodged them as quickly as he could with the equipment in his hand weighing him down, _________ trying to keep herself behind him since there wasn't an obvious way to help him. His agility wavered as the cannons kept recharging with no cooling period for his energy to recover, but he continued moving around to keep up with the pacing. After a grueling game of dodge-cannonball, Piko collapsed on the ground out of exhaustion but then came the wolves.

Their hungry eyes were pinned onto the duo like crosshairs, and soon they came stampeding down the hills where the cannons previously were. With no sign of help coming any time soon, ________ started to fear for their safety. She looked to Piko for any tips on how to defend, only to see him hand the shield to her. Between pants, he started to teach her on how to use the shield.

His remaining strength drained quickly, which caused him to stop speaking and rest. Now, ______ could see why he brought the shield here and had held it although he could have placed it on the ground. The trick wasn't to skewer the wolves or to destroy them since they weren't part of this world; they just had to hold their own and outlast them to proceed onwards. The shield was there originally as an insurance that they wouldn't die immediately if they got hit by the cannonballs, but now it had a new purpose; to push the wolves into the spikes behind them and live through the onslaught if they weren't smart enough to leap around it and bite them.

With one of the two currently indisposed, it was going to be a menial task. Piko was too heavy to be carried around and he couldn't be moved at all. On the other hand, _________ was in a predicament and clueless on how to hold off the rabid animals once they reached her, much less alter their direction.

To fend off the wolves and to keep Piko safe. Never in her life would _______ have imagined herself in this unfavorable situation. However, Piko nearly had his life taken by standing at the front lines for her, it was time for her to repay the favor. That is, if she still had a future after this battle to tell him that.


	26. Chapter Twenty Two : Temporary Peace

Chapter Twenty Two : Temporary Peace

After what seemed like an eternity, the nightmare subsided and sky finally returned to its pastel hues as the remnants melted into cheery colors. On the plain beside Utatane Piko was an exhausted ________ with bloody and ripped clothes. Piko himself looked no worse for the wear. He wasn't just hurt, he was bleeding and still lethargic since he didn't actually receive enough rest. The shield they had previously used were now in pieces and completely unusable.

They were wounded severely after the battle, it was a miracle that both of them were still alive to see the dawn of day in this blasted world. Their sole equipment was broken, there were countless times panic held their hearts when one of the wolves' fangs landed on their skin, afraid that one chomp would take their limbs away for good. Fortunately, they passed the challenge. Even if by a thin margin, they still succeeded.

_______ was breathing heavily. She had collapsed on the ground a few moments ago when her strength finally gave up on her after upholding the guard for too long. If Piko hadn't been there to catch her, she probably would have let her life slip away once her head hit the ground. She could feel distraught arms around her and a frantic voice, trying to keep her awake. She liked how he worried about her, but the strenuous defense game before had pushed her limbs beyond their limit and his shaking was giving her more pain. After a few moments, she had raised her head and told him calmly to keep quiet.

"________. Are you okay now?"

"Well, as okay as one can get after an unfair battle."

"Then, is there anything I can do to make you feel better, at least?"

"I don't think so. You've done enough, just rest for now, okay?"

The most friendly conversation to pass between the two had been that. Both had mainly been relishing in the fact that they had triumphed, there wasn't anything important to say or to do. At least, that had been what ________ was thinking until she saw Piko pull his USB tail towards him and point the large head at her arm. His eyes raked up and down all the gashes on her body, a look of consideration on his face until he focused on a particularly grisly wound. _________ observed his hand on the tail start to tighten.

"Piko, you do know that your actions are rather suspicious, right?"

At that remark, said man's concentration snapped up towards her. She still remembered what he said his tail could do, but it didn't mean that she shouldn't be wary of it. She turned around to face him fully instead of sitting side by side, just in case he tried to harm her.

" . . . . _________, I'm sorry."

With those words, Piko grabbed her arm and inserted his tail into her chest. The pain spread through her body and soon she felt something flow into her as well. She couldn't put up a struggle; his grip on her was too tight for her to push it off. Soon, the pain dulled her vision and fresh blood started pumping out of her again. Right before she lost her wakefulness, a voice spoke to her sadly. Since there was only one other person here with her, it was a good chance that Piko was speaking but she couldn't pick up his words. She felt the ground come up under her and fainted.

~

There were many people at the lavish banquet. The tables were full of desserts and finely brewed wine, and some of them even had stuffed toys sitting at the very sides of the table corners. The attendees were dressed exquisitely in silk and a small amount of them were bedecked with gewgaws. For one certain woman, she had no need for jewels to enhance her beauty, for her hair and elegance alone were the most ethereal of all.

In this world, everyone had their own version of dashing princes and fair maidens. There was no unlucky soul to possess builds or faces that didn't match their identity. Every single one was destined to not be alone in the end no matter how long they waited. In that surreal universe, everything was perfect.

At least, that was what they were always told.

Behind those fancy masks, disgust and jealousy were sown into their hearts. All these people had insecurities and concerns, and they all had their own dirty secrets. No matter how much confidence they showed, there was always that small mishap that uncovered the monster within. That was why the citizens couldn't be reunited; no one was willing to understand and accept each other for their flaws.

Regardless of how many negative emotions they harbored, all of them had one similarity that no one was proud of: they were all made and not birthed. It was their artificial hearts that provided energy and it was their fragile bones that strengthened their stature. With one mistake from the creator, all of them would die in one fell swoop.

They could have been flawless from the inside as well as the outside, but they were still imperfect . . All because of their selfish creator.

~

_What was that . .?_

_________ woke up from a dream. Her head throbbed in pain from the latest show given to her by Utatane Piko. As her view sharpened, she found herself on top of a giant humpback whale with Piko's arms wrapped protectively around her. Beside her was his tail stained with her blood from its contact with her wounds. She was sitting on his still bloody lap, overlooking the sky. They were atop a mammal that she had heard of before, but had they been known to fly before?

"Piko, are flying whales a thing here?"

Now that she had spoken after a while, she noticed that her throat was parched. Piko, who finally managed to get some rest had started at her voice. The first signs of him waking up had been to tighten his arms around _______, followed by him groggily opening his eyes and blinking until they cleared up. ________ watched him wake up, wondering why he could just wake up like that without having to recharge his batteries.

"Uh . . Did you call me, ___________?"

"Yes, I did. Any reason why we're on a flying whale?"

Again, Piko looked around him before replying. His gaze flicked towards the ground and unconsciously gripped onto his partner a bit tighter than before. ___________ was starting to feel quite uncomfortable from being held in this position and gently patted him on his arm to release her. Wordlessly, Piko complied but once they were not so close anymore, he ducked his head shyly.____________ could feel herself start to soften up and wondered if this was his way of not answering the question. Nevertheless, she pressed on.

"Utatane Piko. Do you know why we are on a flying whale?" _________ put a bit of authority in her voice in hopes of getting an answer from him. He'd avoided the question two times already!

"Yes, I do know. It belongs in this world and is a form of transportation here."

"What do you mean by 'world'? From where we previously were, whales don't even flap their flippers when they jump out of the water! Why is there suddenly a type that can fly?"

"That's because you aren't in the world you know anymore."

"Care to explain, then? If we have to deal with those dark red things again, then I'd like to know what's going on before I die."

If this was going to be those cheesy hang-tight-onto-life-to-finally-get-explanations scenes, then _________ was eager to not let that type of experience get in her way of knowing what's going on. At the word 'die', Piko's expression changed subtly but he didn't comment on it. He just went straight to the point but started the bound-to-be-long explanation with a question.

"Did you ever wonder why you just happened to live with Kurotane Piko?"

_Damn it, why can't he just tell me?_

_________'s frustration was starting to build up within her when she heard it. She was about to roll her eyes but was suddenly conscious of Piko's serious eyes on her. Gritting her teeth, she tried to tone down her irritation and thought reasonably. She expected an answer to be waiting on her lips, but there was none. Did Piko expect this?

Apparently he did. He exhaled when she couldn't reply after some time. Meanwhile, the whale they were riding on glided serenely in the sky.

"I was sure you wouldn't know. You don't know your true age, you don't have any friends except me and Kuro. You don't remember your parents. You go to school as usual but I am certain you don't even know the name of your school."

_________ was disappointed that his claims were spot on. She truly didn't recall ever having parents at all or even why she and Kuro were suddenly living under one roof. She thought the school name could be answered, but apparently that had been part of the problem too.

"The truth is, you do not belong in the world you thought you grew up in."

Piko was about to broach further into the subject but as soon he opened his mouth, the sky started to grow dark again as a sign of more danger creeping up on them.

"And now they choose to interrupt. I guess I'll get my explanation next time then."

The remark from _________ hid frustration. Was this all planned so that she can remain clueless and helpless as possible? Nevertheless, she stood up and prepared to defend herself from this unknown enemy. She could hear Piko getting up too, but he pulled off another surprise that looked more detrimental than helpful. He had muttered something inaudible under his breath, grabbed onto __________'s arm and then proceeded to jump off the whale into the spreading darkness.

"Hey, what are you doing?! Are you trying to get us killed?"

"I'm not."

That was the only reply he gave and soon the magical world around them collapsed and succumbed to the corrosion. Since there was nothing any of them could do, ________ could only hold trust in Piko and hope that he didn't plan to kill her in the end.


	27. Chapter Twenty Three : New Path

Chapter Twenty Three : New Path

Utatane Piko knew exactly what he was doing. He had been living in this world for too long to count, he certainly knew how to work his way around and keep both him and ________ alive. It was rather tricky and he had almost failed at his responsibility a few times, but now his burdens were lessened a bit. Here he was, tumbling into dangerous territory with _________ in his arms. Once they reached the end of this tunnel, then she will part with him. If she decided to never come back again, then this world would have no more reason of existence and collapse upon itself.

He clutched _________ tighter in his arms. Once the light starts to shine through, then it would be safe for him to let go of her. She had fulfilled her duty by holding her own against the darkness, now she could traverse back to her world without fear of anything trying to kill her on the way there. Piko had thought of using his own powers to ward off the erosion, but even that was futile as his magic was prey to it as well. At least he knew how to use that shield when his remaining unpolluted powers only brought him that instead of a temporary dome to protect both of them.

After a rather eventless fall, the end was finally in sight. Piko's boots scuffled the invisible ground that led both of them to the light ahead. Reluctantly, he let go of ________ who had calmed down a little and was staring around curiously. Since he had nothing interesting to be wary of, his eyes focused on the girl in front of him.

That feeling surged through him again. He still remembered the flooding waves of longing when he was confined in that room, hoping so much for her to join him in that room and show him some sympathy, even if they never existed. Pity, the only time she knew about that room was when they were in imminent danger. He had to bring her somewhere safe, and even then . . They would still have to separate one day, wouldn't they?

_What else were you expecting?_

That small condescending voice spoke up in him. Of course . . There wasn't anything different or interesting to expect. However, he couldn't help but feel the flower blossoming within. What he desired was in front of him. He could say those selfish words to her now, persuade her to stay even if this world threatened to erase her if she stayed here any longer. He wasn't afraid of commitment; he was afraid that there might not be anything for him to commit himself to if he let her slip away again.

Her safety, her thoughts, her wishes that no one else knew but him. . . All these things that he wanted so badly but couldn't say out loud. He had wanted all of those long ago but had stayed silent, and he had paid the price for it. There was another chance at redemption now, he just had to speak up again.

But what would be the price this time if he was denied that wish?

~

Another place. Another dark, dark place for her to run again. There wasn't a single star to be seen anywhere. The most notable thing was that bright white circle in front of her glowing invitingly, and Piko whose clothes were mysteriously emitting cyan lights. After the previous places she'd been in, anything friendly or peaceful was to be wary of, but she wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt. She wasn't sure how long she could live in this place if Piko hadn't arrived in time to provide aid for her. Otherwise, there was no guarantee what would have happened.

Speaking of her white haired friend, she noticed that he hadn't spoken anything for a while ever since they landed on flat terrain. Was he studying that light, too? _________ turned around to look at him. He was facing her, but his different colored eyes were unfocused. There wasn't any expression to be observed from his face, either.

"Piko, are you contemplating your life decisions right now?"

"... What?"

________ only meant that as a joke to cheer him up, but she forgot that he had a different and more secluded view of his life. Needless to say, Utatane Piko looked at her with a befuddled expression.

_He doesn't get the joke._

She sighed inwardly. After everything he had risked for her, she should have been grateful instead of irritation but the scarcity of his knowledge was baffling sometimes. Actually, explaining would be a good time to ease the tension of the atmosphere right now.

"It's more of a figure of speech, again. I'm just curious about what you're thinking right now."

" . . Oh."

That was the only response he gave her. After some time, __________ approached Piko and stared at him curiously. Surprisingly, Piko drew back a little but his gaze did not waver. After a period of staring, he looked away in a rather awkward fashion.

"Piko, what's going on with you?"

This time, Piko acted like she never asked anything. His back started to shrink and he folded his hands in front of him like a bashful person. He still looked very uncomfortable even though ________ was certain she hadn't done anything to upset him. Naturally, she wanted to worry over him.

The darkness didn't get to him somehow, did it?

As that thought wormed its way into the recesses of her mind, she stepped back out of impulse. If even Piko was being controlled by the dark fog that haunted them when they were here, then she would be in big trouble, wouldn't she? There wouldn't be anyone to save her this time if Piko turned his back on her. She still didn't know anything important about this strange place except about the facts of that fog, but that wouldn't be of any help to her if her opponent could harm her physically.

What was she supposed to do? ____________ eyed her friend warily, preparing herself to dodge if Piko tried to lunge at her. If she needed a weapon, then there was nothing that could be used against him unless she wanted to try and grab his tail. Surely he wouldn't do anything to her when they hadn't even recovered from their wounds of the previous battle. She could still see the scars that wrapped around his forearm since that was the only place that wasn't covered by his clothes, but he was at a whole better advantage in terms of energy if compared to her. Her own wounds were still healing up, but she could move around a little bit. She felt guilty for being suspicious of her friend, but she had a good reason to do so, right?

"________."

That voice snapped her out of her train of thought. Piko didn't sound antagonistic or smug, he either meant it or he was good at acting. Nevertheless, she felt something prick at her heart when she heard her name being called from his lips. _________ looked up at Piko. His eyes looked melancholic despite their warm color, his lips were thinner than usual. ___________ did not see any changes in his face other than the expression he wore now, but his weariness was almost palpable through that tone.

Piko broke eye contact and looked at the light behind _________, his face now an unreadable mask. ___________ couldn't discern anything from him now, but she knew there was no mistake when she saw his look earlier. She wondered if he was planning anything else and looked back at the light, but there was nothing new. However, all those thoughts flew out the window when she heard him speak again.

"________, is there anything you want to say?"  
_  
What is he talking about?_

Piko was now holding his sleeve in a very forlorn manner. __________ knew that she should be angry or concerned over his odd words, but she couldn't ignore the numerous questions that reverberated in her mind either. Finally, she had a chance to have all her questions answered, but the most pressing one was what Piko had told her himself. She could interrogate and force the answers out of him just in case something interrupted them again, or she could coax the answer out of him. He would surely comply either way, wouldn't he?

a. Interrogate him ( proceed to ☊ )  
b. Coax him ( proceed to ☋ )


	28. ☊ Chapter Twenty Four Choice One : Interrogate Him

☊ Chapter Twenty Four Choice One : Interrogate Him

_Why is he asking that all of a sudden?_

That question would have been something a tutor would say to their student, but in a situation like this, Utatane Piko sounded like he wanted to stay and was asking her whether it was okay to do so. The worst part was that the undertone behind that question implied that he had no liberties to take, whether he liked it or not.

"Piko, what are you saying?"

He did not answer, and his eyes kept looking everywhere but at her. __________ felt insecurity start to overshadow her relief. Was Piko seriously considering leaving her? Who knew what fresh hell was out there, and he wanted to stay? Him, the only person who knew something about this place and he wanted to live here? Wasn't he afraid of what nearly happened to both of them during the time they were in different places? And who would be able to guide her through all that danger should it show up again?

Piko got more and more jittery by the second. The atmosphere dropped steadily as he watched __________'s face sink in realization. After everything that happened in the past, he decided that it was more comfortable watching her get frustrated, or even sad instead of that look she was giving him right now. It was as if she was accusing him of betraying her. He felt like he had to say something, the disappointment on her face was crushing him from the inside.

" . . .________, is . . is there anything . .to s-say?"

"Of all the things that you could say, you had to rub it in my face a SECOND TIME?"

The venomous words that spat from _________'s mouth shocked even herself. They sounded extremely hateful and so very unforgiving towards her faithful ally who had done nothing but help her. No, she should calm down, ask him for his reason behind that question, but after voicing her own thoughts, something had opened her heart and a warm feeling had flowed in.

Before any other questions could surface, _________ felt a sharp gouging pain in her mind. She crumpled to the ground and clutched her head in pain, her fingers splayed in a way as if prepared to rip her hair out. From her mouth, she let out a demonic scream as her fingernails dug into her scalp and drew blood. Her mind was throbbing faster the longer the pain lasted, and soon her vision started to dim from the agony. From afar, she heard Piko's voice but her ears failed to catch on to what he was saying.

Just then, her mind lost reason.

~•~

Piko had widened his eyes in horror and rushed to help _________ the moment he saw her kneel down on the ground but he didn't know what to do. His power couldn't heal her from her current agony and there was no one nearby to offer help. He was panicking now, and there was nothing in this abyss to cure her. If push comes to shove, he would have to put her out of her misery. All the while, __________ was screaming uncontrollably while her hair started to turn white.

He looked around her and checked if she had anything helpful on her. Nope, nothing. Then, his eyes caught sight of __________'s face. She was crying, and the streaks on her face were red. The yells no longer resonated, her psyche had probably given up on her. Feeling an immense burden of helplessness on his heart, Piko watched __________ faint. He hoped that she wasn't dead yet.

The body started to grow thin. Her skin stretched over her bones and soon they were ripping apart too. However, there was no blood flowing from those wounds. From her back, her spine elongated and broke into pieces inside the body. The sounds of smashing rocks made Piko's ears hurt as well as made him feel even more guilty for not helping her. After a while, he couldn't bear the sounds and the visual horror before him, thus he covered his eyes and moved away from her.

Meanwhile, the body was still undergoing the same strange process. Once it finally quieted down, Piko lowered his hand that was covering the view. As he registered the entity that materialized from _________'s corpse, petrification took hold of his heart.

Before him was the same red fog that had turned the once peaceful countryside crimson, and the same enemy that had threatened him and _________'s safety with cannons and wolves earlier. This time, the red fog had took upon of a humanoid figure. He saw a pair of sharp eyes form upon the face as it grew mature. From the face, a feminine figure spread itself underneath the head. The fog was grouping together to form the body as well as the hair. Once she became human, she spoke with no gratitude.

"Ah . . I finally have a body to move around in. Thank you, Utatane Piko."

Piko knew that sardonic voice and that face. The luscious long hair was no stranger to him. He knew this person. Most of all, he knew the cause of her existence in this world.

Confidently, she strutted to Piko. There was no longer a corpse to be seen behind her. It was obvious, __________ who was breathing just a few moments ago was dead, her body taken and reshaped into another person. This person had the second most control here, but somehow she had usurped Piko's hold over this world.

Her hands caressed his face and her long nails dragged under his chin. Her grip tightened and her face soon filled his view. Condescendence smoldered within those eyes, and the voice that spoke was nothing short of sarcastic.

"For someone who sacrificed himself so much for her safety, you sure know the most merciless way of letting her die when you want to."

"N-No! I. . I didn't mean it . ."

Piko felt his defiance wither under her piercing gaze. Both he and this woman knew the past that had caused all this to happen, and both played important roles in its prelude. Piko had done everything he could to prevent any harm from reaching __________, and all it had taken to break her was his words . .

He suddenly felt like a lost puppy. He had sworn an oath to protect her in this world, and she had died right in front of him. What was even worse was that he even shielded his eyes and let her suffer. He couldn't even let her die a painless death. He thought they were finally safe since the light was still just in front of them, she could have left and gone back. Freedom, just a few steps away and he had just ended that with his blabbering mouth.

He should not have said anything. If he knew that this would happen, then he should have pushed her in. However, there was nothing he could do now. Nothing to change the past. He couldn't do what he had always done until now. If she had still been alive, then he could have done something . . All his hard work, and this was what he got in return.

_You deserve it. You said that you wouldn't leave her again, and you decided to kill her._

Unknowingly, Piko started to cry. Meanwhile, the woman merely smiled. Her hand retracted and Piko fell to the ground, weeping sorrowfully. She stared down at him and contemplated her next move.

"Now, what is your wish?"

She had said those words to many people in this world since wishes and desires still existed here. They always accepted her proposal, and she would always keep her word and give them what they wanted for a price. Even in this wretched place, there was always a chance to offer her long-term service again. This wreck would surely accept just like all the others that came before him.

The reply came once she finished talking.

"I . .I want . . . To see . . .her again . .! Please . . please return her . .to m-me . . I beg of you . . .!"

Between sobs, Piko cried out pitifully. He had nothing precious left. There wasn't anything that he wouldn't give now. Even what kept him alive, he would give that, too.

"And what will you give in return?"

The boy stated just that, and soon something glinted in the dark. The sword penetrated Piko's heart, and he fell to the floor. His body disappeared in fairy dust, and only the woman was left behind in that desolate tunnel.

~BAD END~


	29. ☋ Chapter Twenty Four Choice Two : Coax Him

☋ Chapter Twenty Four Choice Two : Coax Him

Utatane Piko must have his own reasons for asking her that question. __________ could feel distress laced within his tone when he spoke, and he sounded like he was forced to say it. She should ask him what he meant before she did anything else. He'd helped her through so much, it just wasn't right to be hostile to him.

With that thought in mind, __________ tried to calm down her heart and looked at him straight in the eye. Piko's flitting eyes were soon caught in her stare, and he found himself unable to look away this time.

"Piko, what do you mean? What else do I have to say except gratitude towards you for saving me?"

The man in question did not elaborate further. However, his eyes widened slightly as if he had not been expecting that answer. Something flickered within them, but _________ could not decipher it for Piko broke eye contact with her. Silence flowed between them for a while until Piko spoke up.

"Then, will you leave now?"

He gestured to the light at the end of the tunnel. __________ turned around and gazed at it for a while, but her mind was focusing on Piko's words. He still sounded resigned for some reason. This was the perfect time where __________ could question the oddities of the previous places they had been to without anything trying to diverge the topic, but she couldn't just ignore her friend's feelings right now. To ease his mind a little, __________ gave him a definite answer.

"No."

At those words, Piko's head snapped from the ground and his mouth formed a little O. He had his own words to say to her, probably to convince her what a bad idea it was but ________ wasn't about to let him lecture her. She walked towards Piko while holding his gaze, and his eyes followed her actions curiously.

"Piko, you've really been a great help to me. I could have died so many times and it's thanks to you that I'm still standing here. I've never had any chance to be friendly to you during that time, so while there's no one here, please talk to me. I don't know if my ears are deceiving me, but you sound like you aren't going to be with me anymore."

Piko's eyes had gone wide after hearing that, and even __________ was surprised at what she had said. She hadn't intended to lecture him in return. When Piko still refused to talk, she extended her hand and held his sleeve while still keeping her eyes on him. As soon as her hand touched the black fabric, his multicolored eyes focused on it while his face struggled with conflict.

"Piko . . If you really are going to let me go alone, then at least please let me hear your reason."

She tugged on his sleeve and soon her hands slid down and threaded with his partly concealed one. The gesture reminded Piko of the time where she led him around the mall when he was lost, and his face reddened slightly. His eyes started to cloud over with restraint. Then, he lowered his head until his white hair fell over. All this time, ________'s gaze hadn't left him. If he still held steadfastly against her, then she would have to respect his wishes. 

No, she had to persevere. 

"Piko—"

"Please, stop pressuring me. I'm fine, I'm as fine as I can be. Happy?"

There came his cold reply. His eyebrows knitted together as he glared at _________. His free hand came up and gently pushed hers away from his, but to ________, the movement in his hand felt more forced than willed. She let a bit of hurt show on her face to elicit another sentence from him, she knew he was close to giving in. As she expected, he began to speak once he saw her face as if trying to undo the damage of his answer.

"________ . . . I . . I'm sorry . . Please don't look so sad."

That was the best he could give. On ______'s face, there was nothing to be gleaned. Piko started to realize the extent of his previous reply when he saw her posture sink a little. When _________ turned away, Piko let out an anguished cry that stopped her in her tracks, and she looked back at him. Piko must have been fighting with himself all this time, for he had teared up and was throwing himself into her arms. Out of instinct, _________ started gently patting his back to soothe him.

It only made him cry harder. 

"__________ . . . __________, you're . . You're still so kind . . . Why. . . Why d-do you treat me . . .so kindly?"

__________ felt very awkward. Hadn't she always been this way? She treated people the way she did because that was just how she was. She had never needed a reason to do that. Piko on the other hand was immersed in his memories; he cut her off when she was about to speak. He was already in those types of breakdowns that required a listener, not a conversationalist.

"_—________ . . . I wished . . . I wished that w-we . . We could be happy . . After what you went through, I. . . I wanted t-to take away your pain . . . I wanted to be . . The one for you . . . "

There was no stopping Piko now, he was pouring out his feelings as __________ felt his arms tighten around her. He buried his face in her shoulder as he continued to speak.

"I thought . . I thought . . . If I c-could at least . . . . Be your friend . . . I-I would be content . . .but . But . . I couldn't . . . Hold back in the end . ."

"Piko, what do you mean?"

________ had a faint idea of what he meant, but his personality just didn't match her assumption. She thought she also heard an indirect confession from him. Her question this time had more than one meaning and thus required more than one answer, but he gave neither.

"Aaah . . . I-I wanted to be . . . . A prince . . . If you could l-look at me more . . . Smile at me more . . . I wanted those, and I-I. . . . If I had not done them, then . . ."

Piko reluctantly released ___________ but his fingers ghosted over the recuperating scars on her skin. One of his trembling hands intertwined with hers while the other lingered on her scars. His eyes now looked resigned but tears were still trickling down his cheeks. His lips trembled as sighs occasionally left them, and he never once looked right at __________. When he spoke again, his voice had the gentle tone of despair.

"But . . . I caused this . . . I caused these scars . . . I'm sorry . . I'm s-so sorry . . . Please . . please forgive me for f-failing you . . please . ."

_He's getting the wrong idea!_

"Piko, you didn't cause this! You were there with me, you know it!"

________ heightened her voice to defend him so that she wouldn't be cut off, but again Piko wasn't listening to her as he only went on lamenting after she was done talking. She could feel her mood sinking down too after seeing him in this state, there really wasn't much that would get through him and he seemed to be talking to anyone but her right now.

"Is wanting you . . Really so much . . . To ask for? Even after. . . After all t-this . . I still love you . . __________, even . . Even if you won't . . Won't forgive me, I'll still . . Still . ."

"Piko . ."

_________ heard him confess to her right then and there, but was also torn between reassuring him or giving up and letting him go on. She did feel slightly embarrassed when he just said those words, but now wasn't the time to bring it up. She knew Piko would not have sobbed like this if his deed had been minor, but she couldn't remember what he ever did to her. The only thing she could recall was the drugging. Was that the case?

"Are you talking about the green tea you gave me?"

Seeing that Piko's venting had paused temporarily, __________ piped up her own comment before he could ignore her again. Surprisingly, Piko heard her question instead of her defending him just now and answered while trying to control his emotions.

"No. It isn't. I . . I didn't do anything bad to it. Our guard was down . . The smoke . . It's sentient. I don't know how."

Since he actually gave her a concrete answer, _________ wanted to proceed and get him to talk about this world since her head was pounding with so many uncertainties, but Piko wouldn't let her talk for he placed his finger on her lips and ushered her to the light, his hand still not letting go of hers. _______ had almost forgotten that the light had been behind her all this time. He hadn't hurt her at all despite his claims just now, so she decided to go on trusting him. 

As they stood right in front of the barrier, Piko pressed __________'s hand onto the light and watched it go through while his own seemed to be pushing against a wall. The probability of him joining her was now definite; he wasn't going anywhere. __________ felt like she wouldn't be coming back again once she passed through, so she turned around to say her final words to him.

"Piko, thank—"

"It's my duty, ________. Kurotane will be waiting for you beyond this light, he'll protect you in my stead. I'm sure of this. We both care about you, so please entrust yourself to us while you still can."

There was no trace of sadness behind his voice anymore; just a monotone. __________ felt guilty for forgetting her only other friend but she was still feeling some resistance within her, she wanted to trust his words but she would be repeating history if she went through . . .

"Oh, and one last thing."

__________ was suddenly pulled back and found herself in Piko's arms a second time, but this time his lips were grazing hers. The kiss tasted of wistfulness and longing, and __________ knew why. When Piko pulled back, he gazed at her with the same affection she saw on him when they first met, only more bittersweet and more unrestrained.

"I love you, __________. I always have, and I always will. I will be waiting for your answer, so please come back to me soon."

While __________ was still reeling from the sudden change in the atmosphere, Piko pushed her into the light. Her body went through effortlessly, and soon her whole body was filled with a familiar feeling. It was as if she was going back somewhere safe and cosy, but now she knew only of her sole friend here that remained loyal to her throughout this adventure. She wanted to reach out, to make him come with her but it was useless. During the fall, only one word remained in her mind before she blanked out.

_Piko . . ._


	30. Chapter Twenty Five : Your Name

Chapter Twenty Five : Your Name  
 _  
The woman shivered in the murky night as cold breaths left her mouth through each exhale. She held a lantern with a weak flickering light while a tattered cloak was draped over her shoulders. She had nothing else to warm herself up with except for the candle flame in her lantern, but it didn't matter. All she knew was the cosy house and friendly companion she would have if her life lasted longer than the night._

_With the moon lighting her way, she trudged forward._

_~_

_"Princess. I did my best, but all I could scavenge was this letter."_

_She could see a faded piece of paper in his hands, the lettering worn but still decipherable. To think that her friend would leave a letter when he arrived there, that was out of the ordinary. As far as she knew, this person only had her to rely on, surely she hadn't found another friend to stay with?_

_Her fingers held up the paper delicately. As she pored over its contents, the truth as to why she lost contact with the sender was made clear. She froze, had her departure left such a deep wound on her? Meanwhile, her faithful attendant studied her face carefully._

_"Princess, is everything alright?"_

_At those words, she refolded the letter and hid it from his eyes. Regaining her composure, she spoke as serenely as possible while trying not to think about the message._

_"I'm fine."_

~

The girl laying amongst her dolls woke up with a start. There was no more barrier in her mind now that she had regained her memories, but that also reminded her as to why she chose this road to walk upon. They weren't pleasant, and only more so when she knew that her awareness wasn't due to a false alarm.

The three people in her life that served as her light and purpose . . Two of them had their life taken, the only one who still stayed loyal to her could hardly keep himself alive for her sake. Something which was perfectly normal; ever since she deserted her own kingdom during pressing times and locked herself away, of course the citizens would point fingers at her attendant and place a death warrant on his head. What really troubled her was whether he would still keep her location a secret as she had no hold over him anymore should they be cornered.

Speak of the devil, Kurotane Piko happened to stumble through the big hole in the wall and saw her awake. He didn't smile, but his eyes showed relief as he hobbled towards her. Seeing his current state, the girl approached him and offered him her shoulder. He took it gratefully and they both sat down among the dolls, enjoying their time together for the first time in ages.

"Princess, I see you're awake. ."

She could only manage a nod in reply. When she had woke up for a brief moment, she hadn't recalled his role in her life that time and had thus treated him rather impolitely. Hadn't he reprimanded her, too? They should be even, then. For lack of a conversation, the girl spoke up.

"Piko, I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. You've been doing so much for me, I've never properly appreciated it. Thank you for protecting me all this time while I was asleep."

At first Piko didn't seem interested in replying, so it took him some time to give an answer. He didn't sound earnest, but that had always been his way of thanking her.

"Princess, it's only my duty, you don't have to thank me."

His tone indicated that he meant what he said, but that answer was also another reason for the maiden's choice to blind herself to her kingdom and life; he always said selfless words as if his life was meant for servitude. What he never could say was a definite answer to her feelings because he himself couldn't detect any instinct to return them. She had created him as a reminder to make her kingdom flourish for her former friend, but she couldn't predict the future no matter how hard she tried. Kurotane Piko's allegiance to her proved itself as time went by and thus she trusted him with her burdens, but she had also unknowingly trusted her heart to him too. This uncertain relationship itself was another burden to her as she couldn't pry anything useful from him. At least he trusted her as much as she did, right?

That was a question that she kept close to her as much as she could, but just because she had been ignoring her feelings for Kuro didn't mean that they never existed. As she started to think of him more often, her heart felt heavier and heavier with no solution in mind. A crush wasn't something that could be destroyed so easily when the person in question's life had been created for her alone, and living with pressure like this only made her heart hurt more.

She hadn't expected herself to be woken up again, and she certainly hadn't accounted for her feelings to arise again too after such a long time of Piko's absence. That was to be expected anyway, but she wasn't liking how things were going.

"Princess, can you stand? We shouldn't stay here for long."

She looked down at him, listening to his calm breathing. As old memories resurfaced again, she forced them away and stood up. Was there still a war outside? She turned around to voice out that question, but he had limped to that hole in the wall and looked outside, no doubt checking their surroundings for anything potentially dangerous. She then watched him hop over the rubble and walk on without waiting for her. She knew he cared about her too much to leave her behind ( even if he did, she could always keep an eye out for his USB tail ), but she called out to him all the same in case he actually disappeared.

"Hey, don't walk too far!"

She made her way over the rubble and saw him leaning against the sides that blocked her view of him. His eyes fixated on her for a moment, then he pushed himself off the wall and continued limping away. Of course he would wait for her if she requested him to, but after the ruins she had left her kingdom in, an injured person should not be clearing the way for a healthy partner, especially if the aforementioned person would be killed on sight if he was to be spotted.

Oh, they would both share the same fate if anyone saw them. She did not want her ally to die on her so quickly, so it would be the best to support him whenever she could. Her pace caught up with his and she brushed her hand over his elbow; a sign that she would offer aid to the best of her abilities. Piko merely looked down without saying anything, but she knew he would not ignore her.

They continued walking with Piko borrowing her shoulder once his energy ran out. The silence between them was comfortable, as they had spent many days just being with each other without saying anything. That was also part of Piko's personality; he had trained himself to rely on her as infrequently as possible since a long time ago, and that applied to emotions as well. After some time of her listening to her partner's breathing and the rhythm of his boots shuffling against the ground, Piko suddenly spoke up without warning.

"Princess, now that you're awake . . May I know your name?"

It wasn't a usual question to be heard coming from Piko who had stuck with her since the very beginning, but she understood what he meant behind those plain words. She had two names; the former was her official name, but it felt more like a title with a great responsibility that she never could imagine herself taking up if she had been named something else.

The latter was a more simple one that provided margin of error for whatever she did; it reminded her that she was alive and could still be accepted for her flaws. That was why she had it, she wanted a life of normalcy long ago but she could only dream. During her reign, she was referred to with both names; one during formalities, and the second reserved only for her loved ones. Piko was one of the three who knew her second name, and now he was the only one.

"My name is . . . "


	31. Chapter Twenty Six : Rendezvous

Chapter Twenty Six : Rendezvous

" Oh . . So that is your name."

It emphasized details of her memories that were painful to be dwelled upon, but she tried not to let them fill her mind. She continued helping Kurotane Piko keep on walking while trying to remember the twisting hallways that she had been walking in for a while. Why couldn't she remember this part?

"Is there anything else that you remember?"

The walk was taking a painfully long time, so Piko decided to keep talking.

"I remember . . Parts."

To be honest, she could recall what she had been through, but for some reason, she still felt like there was something missing in her mind. Her mind could not discern the way her body felt sometimes; the surroundings were familiar due to some previous event that included this place but she just couldn't figure out why.

"Then, do you still have that white doll with you?"

"Yes, why?"

"Look at it and then think. Try and think back to how things happened."

With no other option to choose, she decided to obey Piko's suggestion. She held up the little white doll that was tied onto her clothes and reached into the innermost recesses of her mind. There couldn't be anything hidden this way, but it wouldn't hurt to try . . . After a few minutes of grasping blindly at her memories, something responded to her efforts. The hallway thus lighted up and started glowing with individual silhouettes, all in humanoid form.

The duo had stopped walking to help her focus, and now there were people emanating fairy lights while walking past them with cheerful voices. Furniture that decorated the walls faded in and out of view as the these figures expressed different facial expressions while walking by. Many of them had long hair and were tall; they all had finely sculptured faces and dignified clothes to further enhance their elegance. All these people only made her head hurt just by looking at their faces; it was clear that she hadn't recollected everything yet. She looked at her injured companion, only to see him focusing on something far away as well. Was he seeing these things too?

"Piko, is there something over there?"

"There's nothing there. It's okay, we can wait for you. Take your time."

She still couldn't discern whether Piko could see what she was seeing, but before she could ask any more questions, she saw a gust of fog surround them. It was as if this visual show was rushing through the minor details and focusing on the important parts. She saw these strangers hurry by in blurs, and soon time slowed down to an empty corridor. She saw another Kurotane Piko, walking hurriedly past them with a grim expression. In his hands was a white envelope.

He looked down at the letter but did not try to pry it open. Her eyes followed him to the room she was previously in, but the sound of boots pierced through the air and shattered the scene. As the figure dissolved into dust, the Piko beside her gasped. He pushed away her arms around his torso and tried to shield her behind him while facing the origin of the sound. He wasn't in the pink of health to protect her, it should have been on instinct rather than any harm. The noise itself did not sound friendly at all, and it frightened her.

"Piko, what's going on?"

" . . We were probably too slow. They've caught up to us!"

She had a good idea who 'they' were, definitely hostile people judging by the unfamiliar dread that was sinking into her heart. She wanted to run away, but she couldn't leave him behind . . As if he had read her mind, Piko spared a glance at her and mouthed for her to move back. When she had gotten a good distance between them, he picked up his tail, lassoed it and sent the head shooting towards the cracked ceiling. As the cord struck rock, an avalanche of rocks fell down and blocked off the road in front of him with a tumbling roar as day lift shone through the gaping hole in the ceiling.

It worked towards hampering 'their' movement, but both of them knew that he messed up when his tail got itself stuck under the rubble. The rocks were too big to be carried around by either of them, and she did not want to chance surviving alone. On the other hand, Piko was biting on his sleeve and trying not to scream out of pain. She rushed to him and started checking her surroundings for anything useful . . .  
All of a sudden, something echoed from her mind.

__

It's just wedged between two rocks, you can simply pull it out.

__

She was sure she hadn't been focusing on the tail at all, but now wasn't the time to be questioning her gut; she started to exert force on his tail. Meanwhile, Piko's eyes had widened at her action and this time she heard him whimpering. Luckily for him, his tail was dislodged before it could tear at all, but it brought on more pain for him.  
It got harder for him to stand up after that. Even if his body had a lousy timing of wanting to rest, both of them had to run and they knew this. She hurried to help him up, and soon they were moving away steadily from the rubble.

To prevent something similar from happening again, Piko kept a tight hold on his tail instead of letting it trail behind him.

~

After a long time of getting lost within the maze of a building, sunlight finally greeted their weary faces. Not that there weren't any stained glass windows filtering light when they were working their way out; they just liked the fact that they were in a wide place for plenty of movement instead of being confined within walls.

The walk had taken longer than they both hoped ( courtesy to their bad sense of direction ), but reaching an open field did not curb the sense of danger that they had experienced when they were just a few feet away from her room. The sunlight was warm on their bodies, but they kept on walking in case someone happened to be nearby. All around them, there were tattered houses that looked inhabitable and buildings that had no more roofs to offer shelter from the sunlight. There wasn't any good place to hide for a short moment, and Piko was leaning more and more against his partner's shoulder by the second. He needed some time for his limbs to rejuvenate, and it would not help him if they continued their journey.

The town was silent with no sign of life, which was a good thing to both of them. None of them were in any shape to defend themselves if they were to be attacked, especially when one of them could not even fight at all. When they passed a rather large house, Piko's legs finally gave out from under him and both his hands clutched onto her for support. He was heavier than her, so his weight tethered her to the ground too.

"Piko, please . . . There's a house nearby, let's get there first . ."

She knew it was useless when Piko's breath started slowing down. He always listened to her, but now he had no more energy to get up. She thus ended up forcibly dragging him out of the walkway to the nearest wall. When they were out of sight, she looked at Piko's wounds and comprehended the idea of bandaging them with her clothes while Piko gazed silently at her without turning away.

"I'm sorry . . "

"There's nothing to be sorry for, I know you are trying to help me. Just get as much rest as you can, I'll watch for the both of us."

At her words, he gave a weak smile and leaned his body against hers. She wrapped her arms around him in return and noticed that his hand was loosening around his tail while his shoulders drooped slightly. He was entrusting himself to her, and her heart leapt in joy. While Piko rested, she kept herself wide awake for any signs of danger. There was a question she wanted to ask him earlier, but he was already fast asleep and was unable to answer her. Oh well, it could wait for later.


	32. Chapter Twenty Seven : Past Your Time

Chapter Twenty Seven : Past Your Time

_"Princess, are you sure this is the right choice?"_

_"I don't know. It's like a choice between the devil and the deep sea, they're both unwise. I'm just doing the best I can."_

_"Fine. I trust your judgment, princess."_

_~_

_"Princess, please stay here. Don't go out, no matter what."_

_Her attendant ushered her towards the room. There was nothing inside it, just a rectangular bed in the middle of the room. This was one of the abandoned parts of the wings, and also one of the oldest ones._

_"Please rest here, princess. Do not wake up. You'll be safe as long as you remain unconscious."_

_"But where is he? Is he alive?"_

_"Princess. As long as you hold hope in your heart, we will be by your side. Just close your eyes for now, it's all just a bad dream."_

_" . .okay . ."_

_He left the room through the door as she laid down on the bed._

~

Kurotane Piko was still fast asleep on her shoulder, and the woman was still keeping a look out for danger. As they had been waiting there for a while, she was starting to feel tired. She hadn't had any idea on where to go or what to do, but she had seen a small fragment of something after holding on to the small white doll that was with her. Since she had nothing to do and they still had time to spare, she took it into her hands and closed her eyes, in the hopes that she would acquire something new.

After a moment, she felt her soul being sucked out.

~

____________ opened her eyes and found herself in bed. She had the odd feeling that she once had long hair, but when she lifted her hand to check, there was nothing. She looked around as she sat up. This was her room, no doubt. She remembered the decor, and nothing was out of place ever since the last time she was here. But, why was she here? Uta once said that it wasn't a safe place anymore, so how did she get here and why?

Just then, she heard a knock at the door. The visitor entered before she could give an answer, and promptly perched at the edge of her bed. Utatane Piko flashed her a sweet smile as he handed her a familiar beverage. After taking a closer look, it was green tea. As _________ took a wary sip, Piko greeted her politely.

"How did you sleep, ________?"

"I don't think I slept."

That was true. She didn't sleep at all, she just closed her eyes while Kurotane Piko was still sleeping, then woke up in bed to see Utatane Piko. The journey had felt like an old memory that she couldn't place her finger on. She hadn't expected that to happen, much less feel different when she saw Kuro again, and she wanted answers now that she could meet him when he had decided to just push her into that place.

"So, Piko. You owe me answers."

" . . . _________, must you ask this now?"

Piko's expression soured. He had probably been expecting a nice morning and did not receive cooperation. Nevertheless, _________ still remembered what had chased her a few moments ago and wasn't taking chances. The last time she wanted to question him, he had not allowed her to say anything. Everything was calm now, surely he would enlighten her.

"Yes. I got thrown into books, chased by a red smoke, fell through places and watched them disappear. Then I was someone else with a wounded Kuro on my shoulder. This isn't normal, Piko. If there's anything you know about them, please just tell me."

He thought for a while while looking at the ground. When he looked back at her, his eyes contained sadness. _________ knew she had done the right thing by choosing this topic to talk about, even if it cost him a cheerful greeting.

"I guess I can't postpone this any longer. I'll show you as much as I know, _________. There isn't a lot of time as you aren't safe either way, so I'll be quick."

Piko bent down and picked up his USB cord. He inched closer to her while she watched his tail. It had been a really interesting thing to look at each time he picked it up, especially considering its feats. ___________ braced herself for the pain she was about to receive from it, only to feel Piko's lips on her forehead. She looked up at him who was gazing kindly at her.

"You still haven't given me an answer, you know. I hope you'll make up your mind soon."

__________ felt a piercing pain in her arm as Piko forced the end of his tail into her. She felt the same feeling of trickling water, and soon she was resting again.

~

_________ found herself in a long hallway. This place was unlike any place she had ever been to, she never recalled being a fan of huge dusty buildings that looked straight out of a fairy tale. She wanted to move around but something was binding her to her spot; she couldn't even look around.

A breeze blew by, and ________ noticed that her hair that flew into her field of vision was white. There was only one person she knew who had hair as pale as snow, how did she end up this way? Did Piko project herself into his memories? Well, it was possible.

When she was getting tired of waiting for something to happen, someone showed up behind her. She turned around ( against her will, but there wasn't anything else to be done in her situation anyway ), and found herself face to face with Kurotane Piko. His face was still the same as she remembered with no blemishes and the same red eyes with black hair, but his gaze was deadpan. Did Kuro ever look like that before?

Kuro looked disconcerting as he merely waited for her to say something. To ________, there was nothing of importance to talk about right now since she was only a bystander in this scene, but surely Uta did. As she had expected, her mouth opened of its own volition, and rushed words flowed out.

"You finally showed up! Look, I have bad news—"

"I hope you aren't planning to waste my time."

"I'm not!"

"Then spit it out! Time is of the essence, you know. Every moment I'm away from her means that she's gonna get caught anytime soon."

________ felt herself gritting her teeth to stop another insult from flying out. Kuro had never been this surly before . . Besides, who was this 'she'? Probably not someone she knew. Both Pikos seemed to care about this 'she', surely they would shed some light on their situation.

"The citizens are hunting her now!"

"Like I didn't know that already. I told you they can sense her magic!"

"I didn't expect them to have such a strong connection to her! I thought it was just us!"

"So all those boots were just some thunder to you?"

"Look, please let's just put away our differences for a while—"

"Hurry. Up. Don't make me force them out of you."

".... They're swarming the castle! There isn't anywhere safe to bring her to; she can't go out at all now."

"I've kept her somewhere that will protect her for the time being. I'm more worried about how she'll fare without one of us there to watch over her condition."

At those words, ________ felt hope surge into her. Perhaps Piko was feeling this when he heard them. More questions rose from their conversation, 'they', 'citizens', a castle? This was all rather interesting, as _________ never asked any of the Pikos about their previous lives before.

"Then, is there a plan? Which one of us should stay with her?"

"Can't you make up a plan yourself—"

"I wouldn't have asked you to come here if I did! Hey, you know her citizens and her kingdom better than I do, can I stay with her?"

Uta sounded like he was begging rather than just asking. Kuro looked downwards as he spoke, and _________ wondered if he had once entertained that same idea as well.

"I don't like this."

"I understand her better than you; she didn't give you the ability to feel as strongly as I can. If it's to deal with any negative emotions that she may have, I can sympathize with whatever she had previously felt before—"

"Piko, I'm not liking where this is going."

"I'm not talking about what you're thinking right now, please just think about her instead of me for a change! If we argue any longer they might get to her!"

Uta was about to go on talking as __________ started to feel desperate, but Kuro silenced him with a glare. She never saw him this hostile before, and she started to second guess his true personality. Was this one different from the Kuro she knew? The one who was so friendly and flirty, then this one who was so impolite . .

As he deliberated for a while, she saw him clench his fists as he looked at the ground. The next sentence he grinded out was full of malice, but at least he gave permission. From the way he said it, it sounded like he was hammering into Uta on what a bad idea it was.

"If you want to cower with her, then go do so. You'd better be prepared to put your life on the line for her if anything harms her while she's asleep, or else it'll be the end of us all."

That was all Kuro said before he turned away. His face that was previously brimming with emotion had now softened around the edges into a more solemn expression. Why did Uta claim that Kuro couldn't feel as strongly as he could? This whole communication thing was more of Uta appealing for Kuro's permission than anything important, was Uta just messing with her by giving her the wrong memories to look at?

"You know I will. I care about her just as much as you do, I love her just as much too. We are alive because of her, it's now our turn to return the favor."

Uta replied to Kuro's condition with an equally serious tone, but Kuro acted like he didn't hear it.

"So. I'll go lure them away, you go and seal her magic away, okay? And be quick about it, we've spent enough time here as it is."

Kuro walked away brusquely, but not before shooting Uta a warning look. Silently, both of them went their separate ways as _________ felt herself being tugged away from the memory. . .

_Do you know this place, __________? It is a place where you once frequented, you know._

Of course that didn't make any kind of sense. She couldn't recall ever being here, so how could that be a place she used to visit?


	33. Chapter Twenty Eight : Assault

Chapter Twenty Eight : Assault

_________ had nothing to say against Uta's claim. She trusted him and he knew that, but it all looked a little too far-fetched. All this sounded like something that she herself was never a part of in the first place, but his words resonated within her. Something was clicking together, she could feel it within her. Her vision sharpened again as she ran while still in Piko's memory, surely he was preparing to tell her more.

Of course he was, for she was arguing with Kuro a moment ago and now she was dashing helter-skelter away from a mob of people chasing her with long spears and curses. She felt the adrenaline surging through Piko, pumping through her veins and propelling her forward. She could feel his mind working frantically as he took multiple twists in the labyrinth of a castle; similar to the way Kuro led her by her hand through the crowds in a thronging mall. Uta really stood out with his abnormally white hair and bright eyes no matter how much he wanted to be inconspicuous, how was he planning to hide himself from their prying eyes? As time passed, ___________ found herself rooting for his survival.

Abruptly, Uta ran around a corner and found himself at a dead end with a single door on his left. It was a good chance for him to hide himself since the crowd was still so far away, but he refused to spare a glance at it. Soon enough, the crowd closed in on that corridor and his chances of changing directions were forgone. Was he going to die now? She felt his eyes take over the size of the crowd and he deliberated whether he should face them. He was definitely no match.

Then, Piko caught sight of a small light hanging just between him and the crowd. Without even thinking twice, he pulled a stunt that mimicked Kuro's tail lassoing and glass was sent raining down onto the crowd as the dim light from it faded. As the crowd screamed in confusion, he whipped his tail across the mob and managed to squeeze his way out into the forked corridor. As the flames that provided light were flickering and Piko was rather lean and small, he forced his way out without anyone noticing him. He had thought to run first and leave his tail on the ground so that the mob would chase him once the light returned, but they had thought he had hid in that sole door. They bashed down the door and the wall around it immediately without considering the fact that their target was just behind them.

__________ felt deep anxiety in her this time that fed her still burning adrenaline. There was something important in the room they went into, but Piko was purposely diverting his attention away from its contents as he ran towards the cracked wall. She could not for the life of her prod through his mind, but she was stuck in his body that was sinking her in intense emotions. She was powerless, and all she could do was live out the show. There was no way to know what was happening either, as her mouth was sewn shut if Piko was not speaking at that time.

He was small, so he could not try to dodge his way back in front of them and neither could he see over the backs of all those people who were blocking the way. By the voices, they were hitting someone unfortunate who was in that room. Piko knew who it was, and for a flitting moment ____________ saw the image of a girl with serene eyes and long curly hair flash through his memory.

She felt helplessness since Piko wanted to save that person but he had hit another dead end of his own. Thoughts flew around as he quickly considered all the actions he could take, but he finally settled for the worst one. His hand that reached for a fallen fire torch tingled with nervousness as his eyes darted around to make sure no one stepped on him. As soon as he touched the fire instead of the handle, the prickly feeling in his hand traveled into the flame and it burst upwards, igniting the clothes of those nearest to it and setting the entire room to the torch.

The tongue of the flame caressed the whole room as Piko snuck his way out. As fire produced smoke which was harmful to the people in that room, _________ was gawking at how he thought it was a good idea to set everyone inside on fire and choke them. The fire was almost sentient in a way, it only spread in circles and shied away from the person who was cornered by the mob. Screams of pain rang through the quiet hallway but Piko did not pay the slightest attention to the burning victims.

Slowly, their faces melted off and their height started to shrink until the flames were reaching up higher than them. __________ was shocked at Piko's inhumanity, why did he just decide to burn them up? Wasn't there another way? Piko would not have chosen this method of disposing harm, but he would not have done that if he had other choices to choose from. Throughout the process, she watched on without moving. When no one was screaming anymore, the flames died down and the room was suddenly full of clothed dolls lying on the ground. At this scene, __________ had a flashback to when she had 'woken' up in this very room . .

Piko observed them carefully and climbed in through the hole when he was sure none of the dolls showed even the slightest hint of moving. He made his way over to a woman with long hair crouched in the middle of the room, her bruised hands covering her head. She was whimpering, and _________ felt his heart hurt when he heard it. This woman was someone that she knew, but she could not figure out who. Surely they weren't acquainted?

Piko kneeled down in front of her and moved her hands away from her head. His touch was gentle but his heart was worrying. Judging by how careful he was, this woman must surely be that 'she' that he and Kuro were talking about earlier. ________ knew she felt jealousy that didn't belong to Piko at all.

Slowly but surely, the woman lifted her head and stared up at Piko as if he was a god. Tears overwhelmed her and she flung herself at him, almost pushing him down onto the floor due to her weight. Meanwhile, Piko was having mixed feelings that _________ could not pinpoint, one of them was definitely hesitation as he returned the hug only after a while.

"Piko! Oh, my dear Piko . . Thank you, thank you for coming just in time . ."

"You're welcome."

The tone of voice Piko used sounded exactly like the tone he used when he was talking about her departure in a black void. __________ could feel him restraining himself; from what emotion she still could not tell. Piko was acquainted with this woman, and somehow, __________ was able to empathize with her. When the woman finally stared right into his eyes, she could feel him heating up. Piko must definitely have feelings for this woman . . But what made them separate? __________ wanted to pry into his love life, but her immobile body was a reminder that she was only a bystander. What a pity.

"I'm sorry . . I wasn't there for you when they found you . . But, I'll promise this time, I will stay by your side. I will ensure that you won't be plagued by nightmares anymore . ."

"Piko? What are you talking about?"

Coincidentally, the woman asked the question that was on _________'s mind as well. Piko did not reply, but he knew he had made his decision without letting them on it. Piko's eyelids were half lidded, he was tired from something. It was probably the previous chase earlier, but there was also something unknown that was dragging his body down too, as much as __________ could tell without Piko trying to avoid his thoughts.

"Can you walk? Here, I'll help you."

Piko did not give any hint on his decision. Instead, he gave her a hand and helped her over to the bed. When they reached the completely dull-looking rectangular thing, _________ felt his free hand move back and grab the USB cord trailing behind them. Once he sat her down on the bed, he gave her a tender kiss on the forehead while simultaneously forcing the tip of his tail into a particularly large bruise. While he waited for his tail to work its magic, his eyes veered towards the dolls lying haphazardly on the floor. He made a mental note to clean them up later.

To __________, this was the first time she felt what it was like to transfer things with a tail. It felt like she was drinking water, just with water going outwards from her back. The tingling feeling was weird, but Piko must've been used to it as he already had that tail sewn into his spine ever since she met him. Even in his body, just remembering the tricks he pulled on her was already exhausting her impression on magic.

Once that cold feeling subsided, Piko instantly went to work on decorating the room with burned-victims-turned-dolls. It was best to not let her remember what had transpired in this room, he decided. As for the big hole in the wall, he pushed some of the dolls between the cracks and then used his unknown powers to even out the rough edges and patch it up. When he was done, he returned to the slumbering woman and sat himself at the foot of her bed. When he looked up at her and smiled, it was like a dam had burst forth at that very moment; all his pent up feelings were pouring forth and _________ felt herself being crushed under their weight. Looks like there were still more stories to tell.

There was immense sadness hidden within him, and soon Piko himself was crying as he stared up at her. He had let her down somehow, he could not fulfill her wishes . . Of course they were not him breaking the promise he had ungallantly sworn just some time ago, so what was it? For a brief second, she wondered if Piko was encouraging her to question her life.

He curled up into a fetal position while crying softly. If he had not been conscious about alerting unwanted attention, __________ knew he would be sobbing loudly instead. He could not possibly remain silent when there was a war going on inside of him as well as on the outside of this room. It was a tornado of emotions tearing at him; even his heroic deed to save her was not enough to release him from it. They all came from one heavy responsibility when he was born, but _________ could not see it for Piko had forced that memory deep into himself; obviously not wanting to reminisce about the past. Choking, he said with a thick voice :

" __________ . . . None of this is your fault . . . "

It seemed that as long as the emotion she felt was strong, then she could still force herself out of immobility. Her eyebrows had raised to express her shock, was this Piko in the past talking or was this the current Piko calling her? No, he wasn't crying when he showed her all this. That must mean . . . Was that her lying in bed right now? But, they looked nothing alike . .

"That's why you gave us . . . life, isn't it? You . . You couldn't . . . do this yourself, after a-all . . Don't worry . . As long as we're here, we . . We will stay . ."

He raised his hand and intertwined it with hers. A reassuring gesture, no doubt to lessen both their burdens.

"Don't blame yourself . . . Just . . Don't forget us . . . We will stay with you . . "

She saw her vision start to shake as his last remaining powers drained away with his will to live. The world around her was already turning monochrome, then she saw herself standing and watching Piko who had released the woman's hand curling himself into a ball of tears at the foot of the bed, shrinking down into a small, white, faceless doll.


	34. Chapter Twenty Nine : Creation

Chapter Twenty Nine : Creation

The tremendous shock was too much for ________, as she felt herself jump forward out of the dream and out of bed. The unexpected action almost sent Piko leaping, but he didn't. Instead, his first thought was to check on her and see if she was okay. If it had been about the fact that this woman had the same name as her, then it would be understandable. Her scared eyes drilled right into him, the visual show had left her with more uncertainties and they probably did not answer her own questions either. Contrary to where the conversation was about to lead, the room was as uninteresting as ever.

"Who were those people? What were they protesting about? What did you mean when you said that it wasn't her fault?"

"_______, I can't kee—"

"Piko! You chose that particular set of memories to show me, right?"

" . . . Yes."

He did not want to say anything else in case it made her more frustrated than she was now. Oh, it was going to be tough . . . Piko braced himself for any accusations about to be flung at him soon. Her face was showing a lot of emotions right now and patience was not one of them.

"Piko, I share the same name with her, and it's too coincidental. Care to explain?"

"That is her name, even if she looks different, I know you felt like you knew her."

"That's true, but why?"

"I was showing you the past and you were in my body that time. You can feel what I felt back then, and vice versa."

"That is not what I was asking! I'll clarify, does it happen to be some splendidly timed action by the fact that we happen to have the exact same name?"

"No, it isn't. I'd say that she had that name first before you did . . . In a way."

"Piko, I know I'm being very impatient, so this is a sorry in advance for being that. Now, explain."

"What would you like to know, then, __________?"

_________, in fact, was losing her temper while Piko was keeping his cool. The ever-so-patient man was prepared to fill in the gaps in her mind, and here she was with so many questions to ask, yet with so little space to actually do so. She could accept the fact that that woman had the name first, but the last three words he said was implying that there was more to the story than he was letting on. The story was unbelievable itself with just its primary contents, and it was doing a good job at making her feel that it had a vital role in the story.

Magic, people that turned to dolls when they died, and a decrepit castle . . She haven't had any of those in the life she had now, so they sounded like a different life altogether. They connected with her somehow, that was the only way she could think of to explain the reason she felt the emotions within that woman. She had to know more. There would be theories, ones that weren't fabricated.

The problem was that she was still left in the dark, what questions was she supposed to ask to get the truth? She knew about as much as what Piko showed her, and he had intolerably cut off the visions at that part. Where was she supposed to start, and how much more story was he hiding?

"How about when you became a small white thing? How are you here, beside me right now?"

That was the most trustworthy way of starting the second part of the story. At least, that was what she hoped it would be. There was going to be another long storytelling session, one that she was involuntarily involved in. If he was actually capable of paving out this story for her, then surely he played a much bigger role than a random person whom she let live in her house just by being kicked out of his home.

Meanwhile, Utatane Piko was letting old memories resurface and contemplated whether he should just give her a rundown of the story instead of the full story through holo-show. He was afraid that telling only the surface would not make her remember the past; it would only make her more lost than she already was. He could go for the latter, and that itself was another risk altogether. He knew that if he told her too much, that would mean reviving the demons in his past as well. They all had their own secrets, and secrets were private for a reason. His had been brought up even in this place, and the problems that surfaced here were demons, too. She knew none of that, so he was filtering through what he could tell and couldn't tell.

"You want to know why I'm here. To answer that, you pulled me here. I ended up staying here because I was important to you."

"Important? No offense, but what made you so significant that you were pulled here and unable to leave?"

"I made a promise, as you saw in that show. Before I died, I fully intended on keeping my promise. I don't want to leave, even if I could."

"What's stopping you?"

Piko did not give a direct reply to clear her dilemma. His answers were getting vague and evasive, there was not as much depth as she thought. Was she just a bit closer to the full end? His eyes were conveying his reluctance on telling her what she wanted to know, it must mean that their tales were closely knit together. She knew she was making him uncomfortable about the whole ordeal, but surely it couldn't be as grievous as he was making it out to be, right?

"You. You are stopping me. You are the cause of my continued existence in world."

There were breaks in his tone as he replied, as if they were information that was originally meant to be forced out through prying and prodding. It was dampening his mood and _________ knew it, but she was too engrossed in her own needs to try and ask him on how to get rid of him. There was no reason to support that action, for she trusted him the most even though she had known him for a shorter time, contrary to the other Piko who had experienced life with her through thick and thin.

"How am I stopping you? If you wanted to leave, was there any efficient way other than just informing me of your departure and walking away?"

"Yes. To you, walking out would mean that I was going to leave, but that doesn't mean that you would forget me. I would not be able to forget about you no matter how much I persevere, either."

"I see. Are you being forced to stay here?"

Somehow, the spotlight was already shining on him. His side of the tale was undeniably going to be useful to understanding the full plot later, _________ hoped. Besides, a part of the plot revolved around him anyway.

"Yes. Before you start worrying, I am truly grateful that you wanted me here."

Those words were sincere, and she knew he was going to tell her his story out of his own volition. Now he would talk without having her hound him for it.

" . . . I might as well just show you, then."

He did not need to elaborate on what that meant.

~

_________ found herself in a dark place that was almost the same place where Piko had pushed her through a light halo that did not exist in this version. Again, she was immobile, her limbs stuck to Piko's throughout the length of this show.

Her vision cleared after a short time of waiting and she found out that her body was positioned on a chair. In front of her was this so-called '__________' with curly long hair, presumably chatting with Piko. He was probably listening to her, so _________ in Piko's body decided to get a good look at her face. Even after scrutinizing her features, she still could not figure out what they had in common other than a name. Nothing physical anyway.

She had a vague idea that they were talking about politics when she wasn't zoning out of the conversation. From their body language, ________ knew Piko was the listener and that woman was complaining although she was trying not to let her emotions get the best of her. When Piko did talk, he called her by '_________' and sometimes both of them would snap to attention. Then, the woman changed topics to another unexpected one.

"Hey, Piko. Do you think I should make __________ a soul of her own?"

Wait, making a soul for someone? Does this woman really have that much power over her? Was her true self actually a doll? No, there had to be more to this!

"It depends on you. That would mean that the two of you cannot share the same name."

Piko's answer was surprisingly calm in contrast to ________ whose head was bursting with questions. What was it now? Why was Piko showing her all this if all he ever did was make her ask more things than getting her questions answered?

"Well . ."

The woman hugged her legs while she thought carefully. The room was silent for a while as Piko did not say anything else.

"How about her features first? What do you think a _________ should look like?"

"Anything that makes her stand out, just like all of those you made before."

"Do I have to ask Kuro to go surveying again? He's always out, I'm already missing him."

At his name, Piko's mood soured. Curses drifted around within him, no doubt aimed at this Kuro. __________ could still feel the past tugging at the mind, Kuro draped on her shoulder, staying awake . .

She could actually feel like she and that woman were one and the same now. Could have been a desperate attempt at linking things, she thought. Her soul threatened to lose patience and pin Piko down once he was done, but right now that was only a distant dream.

"Anyways, I guess I'll be making one. Always nice to have a new friend."

The woman ended the conversation there and promptly stood up to leave, but not before bidding Piko goodbye on the excuse of having business to do. Both Piko and _________ admired the way her cascading hair streamed behind her, it only served to enhance her elegance. This woman couldn't even be compared to the people who had stormed the castle in a previous show!

The scene abruptly disappeared as another one stretched itself over her eyes; a flitting image of the exact woman flouncing to a doll room and writing something down on a piece of paper stuck to a doll's forehead. Now she recalled a small piece of the story: her finger was tracing over an initial of her name. That was all she could acquire, there was no indication of the the doll coming alive. And just as the scene ended, so did Piko's.

This time, he merely stared down at his hand that had intertwined with hers and stayed frozen at the spot. Lost in fantasy, he did not acknowledge ________'s disappearance even though all that was left within his fingers seconds later was mere fairy dust.


	35. Chapter Thirty : Dead Things

Chapter Thirty : Dead Things

__________ woke up on Kurotane Piko's lap, with aforementioned person staring down at her with a certain gentleness that she rarely saw. When she opened her eyes, his hand that had likely been caressing her hair stopped, and he quickly retracted it as if it was just an unintentional gesture. His eyes then darted somewhere else as he raised his head, trying to avoid her gaze.

If ___________ had been anyone else, witnessing this slight affection would have made her felt embarrassed if only this action had not had such a bad impression on her due to their past ( and current ) relationship. This gesture from him was not a joyous moment for her, it inflicted sorrow instead. Piko was not one to openly show his emotions at any place, so despite his numerous offers to lend an ear, __________ always rejected. Due to his guarded exterior even when they were alone, it was difficult for her to truly confide under his apathetic gaze despite the fact that he was made that way. Their connection had mellowed down just like that.

"You should have woken me up, you know."

"For what?"

"Isn't this place dangerous? If the both of us had been asleep when someone attacked, we'd be done for, wouldn't we?"

" . . . I see."

__________ sat up as Piko let his head drop. His hair was long enough to cover the sides of his face, and was effective enough at concealing his emotions. Being used to this look from him, _________ did not take action on that. She suppressed her emotions and then stood up without helping her partner. As they had rested enough, there was no more need to lend a shoulder to Piko. She was irritated at herself, how selfish of her to just sleep instead of waiting for Piko to get up first before she tried to immerse herself within the doll in her hands.

Speaking of the doll, she vaguely remembered a story that it had with her but this unknown story was rather disconnected from reality. All she could feel from it was that she had another friend that was alive, but she could not recount the events that happened afterward for them to leave. Overall, her life was akin to a tangle of standalone tales that had almost nothing to do with her. She herself had a past that no one could tell her except herself, and it was her mission to recall it. However, where should she start?

She furtively glanced at Kuro, as if he had all the answers to fill in the gaping holes in her soul. Oh, of course he wouldn't have any, she thought. How would he. Due to his reclusive nature, she told him very little even when she could still remember her past and handle the burdens of her heart, that she knew. Be it emotionally or mentally, Kuro offered little to no sanctuary that even remotely suggested that he cared. After all, _________ created his appearance and his personality as a reminder to keep her head high and live through her mistakes, no matter how puerile they may be in memory of a precious somebody.

That kind of thinking was what got her floored when it came to the line between dreams and reality. She had not accounted for the temptation that was subsumed within her fantasy.

In the end, she had succumbed, and just before that her people's reactions were enough to tell her that she had made a feckless decision. Despite all the beatings they gave her, she steadfastly held against their fists until another person finally offered her refuge within her mind and locked her away. A new beginning with inconsequential choices, the free will to love without care, they were miraculous drugs that clouded her intense feelings and freed her to explore her boundless paradise.

Now that she was back in this dreary reality with Kuro who wasn't much for conversation, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly at how fleeting it was. Reunited with her emotional baggage that had been with her ever since she received that unhappy letter from Kuro, she wanted to hide from him. He was like a rock, with unwavering loyalty to her but also completely silent unless requested to speak. He was unreadable. But she was comfortable with that. Almost.

Better than confessing and finding out that her feelings weren't mutual. She hadn't tried that yet, it would only chip away her inclination to remain awake. Watching Kuro who had now started to trudge ahead of her, she wondered how long she could keep these feelings sealed within her.

"Piko, do you know where we're going?"

"To find a safe place."

"Um, what safe place?"

"Somewhere that no one can see us."

Kuro giving out literal answers meant to _________ that he had no intention to speak to her. Since there wasn't anything to do, she decided to offer a little concern at what was irking him even if he refused to welcome them.

"Piko, is anything troubling you?"

" . . . Not really."

"So there is something making you angry. Is it okay if I ask what it is?"

"You can."

"So? What is it?"

"Something about you."

No wonder Piko was being so abrupt. It was about her. Perhaps that explained why it was so hard to hold a conversation with him.

"Then . . . What did I do to make you mad?"

"It's not that important."

"If it wasn't important, then why is it making you angry?"

"It's something that isn't unscrupulous, but I don't like it."

" . . . Is it about you?"

"No, rather, it's someone who has my name."

"Someone named Piko?"

At that name, __________ had an image of a Piko with ruby red eyes that twinkled in the sunlight, grinning rakishly. No, impossible. No matter how attractive he would be, she was acquainted with him well enough to know that he'd never smile like that at her. She thought back to whoever had this name before . . Until she saw a white outlined silhouette walk in front of them, holding hands with another __________ with the exact same face but with short hair and a completely unrecognizable voice, obviously the voice of a carefree someone who had no kingdom to prioritize, if she even had any.

The person who was holding her hand wasn't someone with a blurred out face, upon closer inspection, he looked like a Piko with a differently colored hairstyle and . . A person with heterochromia? His left eye was blue and his right eye was green. He was laughing alongside the woman, and his eyes that were directed at her were brimming with affection. Watching the couple saunter away, _________ touched her own hair.

She had an inkling that she knew these two people, but again her mind would not tell her what it was. Her head was starting to hurt from prodding so much at dead ends, and she wished she could rest again. Just then, Kuro stopped in his tracks and looked back at her. His eyes showed a meager amount of worry, of course not as much as the other Piko. _________ started to feel envious of their relationship. They weren't as cold as she and this Piko were.

"Is that other Piko someone with white hair and bright eyes?"

"Yes."

Kuro finally showed surprise, he probably thought she was still clueless. He knew things, and now was a good time to question him.

"What does he have to do with what you're feeling?"

"He's . . . He's a lot of things."

"And?"

"I'm not one of those things."

"Piko, clarify."

"He's affable. I'm not."

That was all he said and his brusque attitude was enough reason for ________ to believe him. Piko then climbed up a small rock atop a hill that she did not notice before. Perhaps awkward conversation was enough to make time pass faster. After he scouted the view from above, he extended a hand to _________ who had followed him and was standing underneath the rock. She accepted his hand, and soon the both of them were on the aforementioned rock, drinking in the view of a quaint town. Some of the buildings were half finished and some were meant to house numbers of visitors. However, the most eye catching landmark was not the grandeur of the houses but the funereal atmosphere of the small land in the center.

"_________, the safe spot I mentioned about is over there. Because of hoaxes, people stay away from that place."

"What hoaxes?"

"That someone previously died there."

"Isn't a graveyard meant to store dead bodies?"

"Yes. What's special about this particular one is that someone had committed suicide there. Since it's something sensitive for the people, they try not to let it get to them by avoiding that grave."

__________ wasn't fazed by the news, but her surprise came from the fact that Piko had willingly spoken two sentences. Did graveyards fascinate him? She should try talking about death next time to get his attention, then.

"Do you like that graveyard?"

"No."

_Oh._

Of course he didn't, or else why would he only talk when they saw it? What a juvenile way of trying to gouge his interests . .

She and Piko climbed down from that rock and journeyed to a nearby cave. Once they reached it, Piko immediately ventured further into the cave to check for danger before sitting down gingerly on the cleanest place he could find. ________ sat down beside him, albeit unwillingly, not wanting to be far away in case something did happen. Being close to him would not make her heart calm down, but there wasn't really another decision to be made. No, the more pressing matter was her current situation. Nothing could get between her and Kuro right now, and he had answers.

She finally had a place to rest her throbbing head, and with Kuro there patiently waiting for her to recover, she could spend as much time as she liked. Since the both of them were not physically tired anymore, she could fire away the curiosity in her and have them answered. Kuro may be having thoughts of his own, but he knew more than she did. Who should she ask?

a. Kurotane Piko ( proceed to ♜ )  
b. White Doll ( proceed to ♝ )


	36. ♜ Chapter Thirty One Choice One : Kurotane Piko

♜ Chapter Thirty One Choice One : Kurotane Piko

_________ watched Kurotane Piko sitting beside her who was observing a small bug intently. He had nothing to do there anyway, and since they probably wouldn't be moving anywhere for a while, surely it wouldn't be too much trouble to talk to him. __________ hugged her knees to her chest and braced herself for Piko's probable terseness towards her questions, particularly when she may have to strain her patience with someone as curt as him.

"Hey, uh, Piko?"

"Yes?"

"You're free right now, aren't you? If we're going to stay here for a while, can you answer some of my questions?"

"Sure."

At _______'s inquiry, Kuro diverted his attention from the crawling bug and looked in her direction. He would definitely know things, he had been guarding her while she was sleeping. She vaguely remembered that he shared some of her burdens too, whatever they may be, he would be able to fill in the gaps in her past.

"Um . . Who am I?"

__________ started off with the most normal question that she could think of. She knew she had two names, but with each name came a story and each had their own desires. Right now as the bearer of the name __________, she had a desire to understand her real self and delve into her deepest wishes. There was enough time for that.

"You are _________."

"Piko, my second name. I had one, didn't I? What is it?"

"Your second name? Do you truly want to know?"

Piko's eyes had started to shift away and instead they focused on the ground. _________ looked down as well, wondering if he had a sudden interest in that bug again but it was nowhere to be seen. If his attention was somewhere else, then it meant that she should be cautious on the topics she chose to talk about. Who knew that her name would be one of them?

"Yes. I truly do want to know."

_________ mustered her courage to answer. Not as if asking someone for her own name was a difficult task, but Kuro had asked her for confirmation. It must have been something that played a vital role in her life, no doubt a crucial part of the reason that pushed her endurance over the edge. Piko lifted his head and stared at her straight in the eye, but his eyes held more of a warning look than a serious one, as if he was expecting the answer to shock her to her core. 

"Then, you are not just __________, you are also Riulcendea as well."

Riulcendea. The word sounded so foreign on her lips. That was certainly a mouthful to pronounce. While __________ tried to wrap her head around the memories that she had from this name, Kuro had returned to looking through her than acknowledging her. Nothing in her even remotely indicated that she had a connection to it. He averted his gaze to the mouth of the cave while simultaneously folding his arms across his chest.

"Um . . It plays a rather important role in my life, right?"

"That's true."

"What role? How is it important, then?"

"Well . . . I'd say that it's the reason as to why you exist."

"Of course a person would exist with a name. Then, can you tell me what my life was like when I was Riulcendea?"

"You are a queen. Monarch of this world."

Of all the positions that she could have had, it had to be the one that was responsible for the safety of her citizens. The identity with the heaviest workload that one could have in terms of welfare and the financial ability of millions of living beings, and not to mention having to juggle her own personal problems as well. She could understand and empathize with her past self for wanting to leave it all behind, but why did she?

"Then, do you remember how I got there? How I became a queen?"

"That I cannot tell you. I had not existed back then."

Sure enough, Piko had been nothing but concise throughout their conversation. She did not like the fact that she had to be extra specific about what she wanted to know in order for him to give a satisfactory answer. Kuro was cooperating with her, but barely enough to keep her politeness from giving away to anger.

"Exist? You're about the same age as me, what did you mean when you said you hadn't existed back then?"

___________'s eyes raked Kuro's figure thoroughly. Both of them appeared to be about the same age, although his sharp features suggested that he could possibly be younger. Kuro started to look awkward under her piercing scrutiny.

"I already looked like this when I first came to. If you haven't forgotten already, you created me. My features are as they are now because you made them like this."

_I had powers?_

"How did I do that? I can't remember."

"I don't know. I don't have your powers, I have no idea how it works."

"Then . . About that guy with your name . ."

The communication between the two had been working well so far, but the atmosphere dropped at the mention of this third person. Kuro who had been staring out of the cave changed his posture slightly, which ________ knew he must have not gotten along with aforementioned person. Her gut told her that Kuro was not fond of the guy as well as the topic.

"His name is Piko. Just like mine."

She heard acridity in his tone although he still did not look at her. It was surprising to her that Kuro would not like him, shouldn't they be on good terms with each other? He also gave her an answer that she was already aware of before they reached this cave, did it really shake him that much?

"Do you resent him?"

" . . . Yes."

"You said that he was a friendly and open person, why do you dislike that? Did he have an alter ego or something?"

"He doesn't. I hate him simply because I'm not him."

"Aren't you fine the way you are?"

"No. I am most certainly not."

_________ noted the way that Kuro's mood sank. As they broached further into the subject, his arms that were crossed were now more defensive than bored. His long hair was still blocking his face, as it had always been when they first took a rest here. _________ changed her position until she was sitting at the mouth of the cave, effectively blocking his view and also causing him to stare at her eyes instead. Instead of her shyness at being stared at by her crush causing her to look away first, it was Kuro who casually decided to turn away and act ignorant.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not him."

"Piko . . You have said that for the second time. I want to know why! What's your problem? There's no need to take it out on me!"

Finally, she lost patience and barely managed to keep her voice at a bare minimum. Both their safeties were important to let her question herself and those around her, but Piko was just so unbelievably . . . efficient at making her head hurt more. Never mind the fact that he had told her her name and let her know about her position, but he was so secretive when it came to topics about himself!

"Riulcendea, or rather, _________, shouldn't you be asking yourself that question?"

It was odd, having Piko refer to her by both her names. He had claimed them to be her names, but the one that she had been coined recently did not seem to fit her at all. His jaw was set and his shoulders were slightly hunched, his voice too was laced with an almost sorrowful but furious nuance. Just after he said those words, he turned around to face her fully. The next sentence was strung together by his inner lament.

"How can you question me when it's you who started all this?" 

"Wait, what? I started this? Why do you say that?"

"You gave me life, you defined my personality, and then you just create another me with completely different characteristics? Did you intend to replace me?"

While Kuro was trying to keep his temper under control, _________ was focusing on this newfound piece of information. Someone who was the exact opposite of him? Somewhere inside her, a piece of memory resonated with the name of this other Piko . .

Utatane Piko. That was his name. He . . He was the opposite of Kurotane Piko. While Kuro was abrupt and closed off to everyone else, Uta was someone who accepted everything that he was given.

_And just like Kuro, he was someone important to me, too._

That was all she could glean. Whether their connections were frosty or not, that she could not tell. Well, she was one step closer to knowing herself even clearly now and all she had to do was provoke Kuro until he said something. She snuck a peek at him, wondering if her outburst had been a smart choice, but Kuro had gone back to glaring bullets at the ground. 

Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. Until then, she'd have to resort to similar ways in order for her to gain a better understanding of herself. If she had done something like that before, she certainly couldn't recall anything and thus also no time to make herself regret something that she didn't do. 

"Well, let's go. It might get dark."

They both stood up without complaint, as __________ no longer felt her head pounding. Questions can wait now that they had journeying to do.


	37. ♝ Chapter Thirty One Choice Two : White Doll

♝ Chapter Thirty One Choice Two : White Doll

Seeing Kuro's face that was set in stone, __________ decided that it was better not to ask him. His answers to her questions were chilly and she certainly didn't see anything that could change his mood soon. Right now, the small white doll was a good chance, and also a warmer invitation. The last time she let herself into the doll, she had not remembered anything worthy of mention but she felt a lot more informed when their session was done. The doll must certainly have magical properties. 

Her hand held out the small toy she had kept a grip on throughout the entire time they were traveling. It was a fluffy thing, soft to the touch and tiny enough to be cute in addition to being an informant. And also a much more welcoming one than the one beside her.

She did the only thing she knew how to do when she needed some time to recover her past; by closing her eyes and wishing to lose herself within it. It probably wasn't the proper way, but it worked nonetheless when she felt her grip on reality start to slip away.

~

When she came to, she was no longer in the bed that Uta had greeted her before. Instead, she was in a lush field. A cozy cottage behind her, with her overlooking two hills. Green grass lay sprawled out around her, there was no boundary that she couldn't cross. There was no path that could guide her anywhere, and there wasn't anyone waiting for her, either. The sun was high above her head, and there was also not a cloud to be seen.

With nothing to expect, __________ did not know what to do. The last time she had been here, it was a nightmare stained dark red with assailants that proved to be life-threatening. Now it was as if a phantom scenery was swathed over the expanse to hide its previous malevolence. And for her to be all alone here . .

________ felt a chill up her spine. It won't change again, will it? There was nothing in that cottage to help her if she was in trouble as its contents were still gaping wide from a yet unknown assault. Everything here was the same, the only other soul missing was Utatane Piko, who still hadn't arrived yet. As she grew more paranoid, the green grass started to give way to pink that darkened—

"Relax. As long as I'm here, it won't try to harm us."

The confidence in his tone sent the tendrils slithering away from them with squeaks. Utatane Piko emerged from behind _________, presumably from the cottage. __________ pivoted to face him as he casually strode towards her with each step repelling the last remaining red streaks until they returned to green once more. He was a godsend to the mildly fearful _________, and his presence warmed her up.

"Then why were there swarms of unfriendly things trying to hurt us the last time we were here?"

"I was late."

Piko shrugged and gave her a amiable smile as he looked her up and down. _________ couldn't help feeling that he was trying to imitate a certain somebody. His tail was coiled and hung on his waist as if it were a whip with an abnormally shaped end. Other than that, his appearance had not changed whatsoever.

"How long have you been in those clothes?"

Although there were no more scars closing up as they had all but disappeared, rips in the fabric were still there. They did not grow with time, but nor did they shrink either. Seeing Piko himself groomed and well dressed, his gaze was unsettling to her. It was as if she had dressed as a beggar at a royal family's party.

"I don't know . .? Have I always been dressed this way?"

"Maybe?" 

"Also, why are we back in a place when it shouldn't exist anymore?"

_________ suddenly felt self conscious in Piko's presence. It wasn't like she could change her outfit when there was no place or clothes to offer. She changed the subject before he could offer criticism towards her outward appearance. Luckily, he welcomed it and did not try to bring up the previous subject.

"Well, I recreated it."

"Another surprise. So, are there any people who can create things like this?"

"No, not really. You aren't surprised?"

"No. My journey has been rocky so far, I'd really like a place where I can reside permanently."

"Then, would you like your house to look like this?"

Piko led her by the hand to the cottage and ran his fingers over the splintered doorframe without waiting for an answer. As soon as they made contact, the color of the cottage began to change into a gentle blue. The roof made of weathered boards dyed itself in different colors as the walls of the torn house began to fix itself miraculously. Its height at size grew drastically as well. The duo outside it watched the transformation of a torn house into a grand castle with soaring spires and wide balconies. 

An unimaginatively built castle. Straight out of a fairy tale.

"Piko, have you seen this somewhere before?"

"Yes, and I'm pretty sure that the same goes for you."

Piko did not look proud of the castle, but neither was his complexion showing any signs of balefulness towards it. He merely focused on the castle decorating itself while keeping his hand on it. __________ turned back to the building right in front of her. Judging by its indecisive color changes and constantly reforming windows, there was a probability that the castle had a mind of its own and was trying to recover something from memory. Silence kept them rooted as expectancy festered in the atmosphere. 

When Piko pulled back, the shapeshifting came to a halt as well as the decor. Due to having too many choices, magic had rendered the castle into a last minute decision as soon as it stopped. There were no longer any pastel or loud colors crawling on the spires and towers anymore; just plain burgundy. Piko then brought _________ into the completed castle. 

Ahead of them lay a ballroom with a massive chandelier, which was no doubt going to be on the ceilings of every room. It was spacious, with no furniture except for a large red carpet that led up to the stairs. Just as _________ followed Piko up them, her clothes started to enlarge into a one-piece and her hair started curling and lengthening itself. Piko's hand in hers now had white gloves on them, and his hair now had a braid in it that spruced up his appearance. The long tunic of his was gone as well, and in their place was a princely outfit bedecked with jewels the color of his eyes. His tail was the only thing that did not undergo a makeover. 

The stairs ended in a long corridor flanked with stained glass windows. Light shone in through them, illuminating the duo as they walked past. At the end was a full body mirror that held both their reflections, a dashing prince and an elegant princess by his side. __________ did not feel that their appearances were permanent, perhaps another of Piko's attempts at showing her a past scene.

"Do you know who these two are?"

Piko ushered her towards the mirror and positioned himself at the back. The mirror now reflected __________, dressed in regal clothes and in the skin of someone else whom she was already familiar with. The reflection emitted an air of authority as they stared at each other, even with Piko beaming mischievously behind them.

"That's . . That girl with my name, right?"

"That's right, and if you didn't know before, her name is also Riulcendea."

Piko pulled a hair ornament out from behind him and fitted it onto ________'s head. He adjusted the pins and made them hold in place while his guest was trying to understand the fact that this skin had a different name. When he was done, he gently turned her head to him and admired his handiwork. His eyes were unfocused, which did not betray any idea on whether he was looking at this new face or at the ornament. _________ became aware of their distance and started asking questions to calm herself down.

"Riulcendea? That's my name as well as hers, right?"

"Yes. Queen Riulcendea, reigning monarch of this world."

The mirror melted away at his words as he walked to a nearby window. The irregular stained glass window in front of him shape-shifted and started rearranging themselves until they showed a picture of the exact woman with her hand raised over a plethora of people. She looked as if she had earned her right to be at the top, and the light behind her only supported the fact as her outline was glowing brightly, brighter than the rest of those below her. __________ had never felt so out of place, even her costumes weren't enough to hide her nervousness. She surely couldn't be this woman. They had different mannerisms and looks that weren't even similar. 

"That's not me, is it? This Riulcendea and her citizens, are they actually me?"

"I know they don't look it, but they are. They are an important part of your existence, as well. Do you not believe the scenes I've showed you before?"

"It isn't easy to believe. I don't remember governing people like the girl in this picture."

"Well, if it's that hard, look at this corner."

Piko pointed towards a person at a corner. His tone was no longer chipper and sounded more like his usual way of talking under mundane circumstances. _________ focused her attention on the person he was pointing at, and saw her old friend there. There was a good probability that he had appeared there by chance, but then, how?

"Is that someone we know?"

"You're right! That's Kurotane Piko! Right at her side, just like the way he has always been at yours. Now do you believe me?"

If Piko had been expecting her to read the message hidden behind some kind of symbolism, that was the wrong thing to expect.

"I guess Kuro has the power of teleportation?"

"Not that, ___________, I'm just showing you proof. He sticks by you through thick and thin, and he will go on that way if it is what you wish."

Piko now sounded more relaxed and off guard. Talking about a person they were both acquainted with was loosening his nerves and thus permitted him to fling comments without thinking of consequences. A small needle finally made itself known in __________'s mind; it was pricking and poking at a wall. Piko wasn't lying, was he? His words were like a thread in the gap, trying to sew itself into a specific piece of fabric that must have existed somewhere within her.

"But, even so, just one Piko wasn't enough for you . ."

Piko now spoke sadly. He was hinting at something else too, but of course he was one to keep important parts of his story to himself. Something about strong feelings and creation of dolls? Was Kuro one of them too? __________ was lost in a fog of scattered information.

"That's why I'm here, to fill in the empty spaces he left in you. I'm happy to exist here, because you need me to keep you anchored."

He knelt down in a princely fashion and touched his forehead to her hand. His heartrending voice touched her heart, even as her surroundings faded together with her temporary makeover. The odd meaning behind the words stayed with her until she was free to leave this dimension.

~

"You've been sleeping for a long time, it's time to get up."

Riulcendea awoke to Kurotane Piko's stern tone. She hadn't slept on his shoulder during that time, but his tone told her that he had ran out of patience. Hastily, she pushed herself to her feet as he signaled for her to leave the cave in pursuance of their destination.


	38. Chapter Thirty Two : The Graveyard

Chapter Thirty Two : The Graveyard

The village seemed to be abandoned. The houses were not in ruin at all, in fact, they were rather spotless from the inside, but the only sign of abandonment was that the doors were open. When Kurotane Piko wasn't paying attention, ___________ had taken her chances and peeked inside some of them. No bodily liquids, just furniture that did not betray even the slightest hint of recent assaults or plunders. Even worse ( or better, given their current reputation ), no one was around. Even the small guardhouse, presumably, was empty. The long wooden thing that was pointing towards the sky had some kind of mechanism that would change its direction at a pull of the rope in the guardhouse. None of them touched anything, but the workings of the mechanism was simple and obvious enough to know.

If there was magic in this place, why was there even a need for a gate? The gate wasn't even capable enough to block out intruders, was it just a sign that no one was allowed in at certain times of the day? No way of knowing, as there was not a single soul besides their partner for company and safety. Their outfits only made them stand out, and being 'different from everyone else' could not have been more unsuitable given their predicament.

Kurotane Piko did not bother checking the houses like ___________ was doing, he was only watching the crossroads and making sure that no one would cross their path. As usual, he had kept her behind him while scouting, stopping in his tracks at the slightest hint that betrayed movement. He also wasn't afraid to spare glances behind him, which meant to __________ that he was likely suspecting her as well. The small hill behind them from where they previously were a few moments ago was not to be deemed unworthy of occasional checks, either. As far as they were concerned, no one else knew where they were headed as Piko kept it a secret. He still hadn't told her why he was headed towards the graveyard, though. Hopefully not a trap. She'd be really done for if that was true.

"Piko, why are we headed towards the graveyard?"

"You can get answers there."

"So, once we reach that part, what are we supposed to do?"

Piko slowed his movements. Clearly he hadn't paid any heed to that question. He looked back at __________, which meant that he knew about as much as she did.

"Then, why are we going there again?"

"This is just my guess, but I think you should see someone there."

"Who?"

She had a friend who was dead . . There was no clear recollection to be gleaned, the details were fuzzy. She remembered the fact that she had three friends, and Piko was the only one left. She knew that the white doll she had with her felt lighter once she had awakened from the most recent meeting with it, like she had knew it all along. There was a question, why did she feel as if it was something that fit right into her mind once she knew it? When they just merged, they didn't even come to her as a shock.

"I don't know. All I know is that you'll get your memories back once we get there."

"And how do you know?"

"You frequently asked me to send letters to her back and forth. For some reason, you refused to see her."

"Who is this person, then?"

"I never asked for her name."

"What was she like?"

"I didn't know her well. All I knew was that she had some kind of connection to you even though you refused to talk about it."

They trudged on without taking breaks. Once the graveyard was in sight, its darkness loomed over ________. She knew that graveyards had never unnerved her before as much as this one, so it probably hid a few secrets that she never dwelled upon for a reason. That must have been why Kuro wanted her to come here. Meanwhile, Piko hurried forward into the ominous darkness and swept his eyes over the rows quickly. He seemed as if he knew what he was searching for, but how would he do that if he never asked for the deceased friend's name?

"If you see her, go ahead and check it out. You don't have to call out to me."

He left her one last favor before he delved into the alleys. With nothing left to do, __________ had to search as well. All she knew was that this friend was a 'she', but who? Did she have to check every single one and wait for a random name to coincide with a half-forgotten one in the past? She also wanted to follow Piko and let him verify for her, but for the sake of saving time, she decided to go alone. This friend was more important than ghosts, anyway.

Speaking of ghosts, did they persist after death? They were, as Piko told her in the cave, made by her own magic after all. Surely if they died, then her magic should stop keeping their bodies functional and may have faded away with their lives. She still felt magic-less even though its presence should be required to regain her memories at the right grave. And that was only if she could find the right one, too. If both of them turned up with empty hands ( assuming that they wouldn't have to dig ), then off on another journey again. She would have to use what leftover instinct she had to make the connections.

All these graves had names, but none of them had photos there. That aspect alone had made her search so much harder. If the sun went down, they would have to return to that cave and postpone their search to the next day. Time was of the essence here given their reputation. As her eyes flitted from tombstone to tombstone, names flew by; Fukase, Unity, Ring . .

Was she the one who gave these names to them? They must have been different in their own ways; naturals at some aspects, weak at others. Assuming that she had dictated their personalities and their appearances . . Had Piko been involved in his making and his identity? If so, who was he based off of? She knew he was often sent on errands, normally during the times where she had wanted to create a new member of the society. He always accepted, even though he never betrayed any thoughts on it. There was also another clone of him . . Someone who was everything he was not, as he had put it.

Back then before all this happened, everything came to her so easily at a small sacrifice. Her past self had created them, and then she had set them free to live out the choices in their new lives. What had they thought of her? Were their stories more colorful, more vivid then hers was now? Whereas their pasts had been peaceful and filled with hope for the future, now they were buried in dirt and trod upon by the living even though they had a small semblance of a gravestone that marked the end of their vitality. Did they ever pay any thought to their creator before they died? It was likely that her old self had never considered the fact that making friends with her creations would be beneficial in the long run.

__________ carefully made her way down the rows of marked land. The gravestones were just oblongs with a name and nothing else. How was she supposed to find her friend amongst all these? It'd take them a whole day if not more! She stopped and decided to see if she herself had a faint recollection that could possibly offer help.

As she was digging uselessly at her memories, Piko made his way back to her. His voice jolted her back from her thoughts, and the next thing she knew, he had dragged her to the back of the graveyard. He stopped in front of a lone tombstone that was worn off by time. The name engraved on it was nearly illegible, but it showed just enough to bring back a shiver to ___________. Despite her entire being whispering with recognition, she still questioned Piko on an answer that was already known to her.

"Your friend."

Unknowingly, _________ took a few steps back and was supported by Piko, who had noticed the pain flickering across her face. Strong emotions that she rarely experienced now came surging back to her together with the past that she had tried so hard to bury . . Instead of letting herself embrace it, she was pulled back under the waves of a familiar dream.


	39. Chapter Thirty Three : The Truth In Light

Chapter Thirty Three : The Truth In Light

As __________ found herself engulfed in darkness with that familiar ray of light in front of her, she felt the foundation of this place start to shake. With neither Utatane Piko around to guide her nor another way of saving herself, she ran into the bright circle and then felt the ground and her wakefulness disappear before her. A heavy feeling washed over her and erased her physical body.

~

When she woke up, her limbs were chained and her body lost its free will. Judging from this experience, she was in someone else's body again. This time it definitely wasn't Piko's body, as she knew she was wearing a one piece long enough to reach her knees, whereas Piko's outfit wasn't that long. There was no tail behind her, either. Her surroundings no longer consisted of just pitch black and blinding white; they were swathed with dark colors and the complete deprivation of gentle hues unnerved her. The warm glow from the lantern in her hand did not mask the icy sheets of rain pouring down on her cloak. As her vision adjusted itself to her surroundings, she noticed that she was nowhere. Nowhere that she knew, anyway.

Her host moved, and only then did she take in the fact that the rain was numbing her movement. She hobbled and occasionally tripped over a few conveniently placed stones as frigid breaths left her mouth. Droplets of rain found their way around her tattered cloak and dripped down her body, sending cold rivers streamlining down her. Her own clothes were already soaking, and her body threatened to give out if she couldn't make it to her destination soon enough. Her long wavy hair that reached her waist was pasted to her back. She needed warmth desperately, but there was nothing of use nearby. As she forced her legs to move, __________ heard a voice speak within her mind.

_This is a part of her life which Riulcendea has always shied away from, as it only brings back nothing but sadness and regret to her. As the demons of the past have left indelible scars, she cannot face it herself anymore._

_This is her story, and it will doubtlessly collide with yours in due time._

Piko's voice faded just as ________ reached the entrance of a village. The arched structure above it had space for one alphabet, but it was chipped off by the weather over time; its remains now left in the puddle underneath the arch. Beyond the arch was a village that struck her as an exact duplicate of the first village she discovered in another dimension. Her thoughts were her own, however, as her host started eking out what remaining strength she had to close her distance to it. The storm continued to pour as she made her way into the nearest house, and as she slammed the door closed, the deafening sounds of the storm outside were drowned out. She had no energy left to check her surroundings again and fainted on the ground.

The scene faded as it reached its end, and __________ felt herself being dragged out of the sleeping woman's body. In the next scene, she was in a another woman's body, this time with long curly hair that reached her feet and in a dress long enough to trail on the ground. She was staring at her previous host who was still passed out on the ground. Now that she was someone else, she could get a clearer look at the woman's face under the light of a nearby candle. Red hair with one rogue strand shaped like a hook peeking out from beneath her hood, pale bony hands with veins slightly visible through them, and the rest of her was covered by the wet cloak.

Her current host was just keeping her eyes trained on the body, probably wondering what to do with her. As she decided to help her up by her hands, the figure came to. The red-haired girl propped herself up by her quivering hands, and the first thing she did was to look at __________ straight in the eyes. Both paused in their movement, and Red Hair was the one to leap back after a slight pause. Her crimson eyes betrayed her shock, and she haphazardly gathered her cloak around her. The lantern had been crushed underneath her, and there wasn't any way to light it back up.

"I'm sorry! I'm so-sorry, I didn't mean to!"

__________ saw her own hands move hurriedly as well, her mouth saying it's fine, it's fine, no need to apologize. Both of them should have been complete strangers since _______'s new host only appeared once Red Hair fainted, but the next words that formed afterwards took her aback by surprise.

"Miki, it's fine! There's no one in this place except for us here."

"What? Why?"

"It's empty. I checked."

How did she know? __________ knew she wasn't drenched like this Miki was, as she was sure she hadn't been in the storm at all. Her body wasn't freezing cold, either.

"If you've forgotten, it's the village that you created way back then. You didn't try placing inhabitants here, so it's empty."

At the word 'created', Miki's eyes flashed with recognition. Her hand instantly swept over the pieces of the broken lantern and a bright flame soon birthed on her palm. The outlines of the furniture in the house became visible under the flame's light. Warmth from the small fire seeped into the air, and soon Miki stopped shivering. She stared at it thoughtfully.

"Oh yeah, I remember this place now. It was a smart decision, building it so close to my home since it's here when I needed it the most."

"If I remember correctly, this place is the only proof that you actually got your magic under control. You've always been exceptional at creating life but not summoning inanimate objects."

"Oh, that reminds me, who are you?"

Apparently Miki's thoughts and past were clear to __________'s host but they weren't even on a first name basis with each other. Not for _________, anyway.

"I don't have a name. I was created by you a long time ago when you first exercised your skills. I'm not the only one your magic succeeded in creating, but I can say I'm the first."

"I don't remember this."

From her expression, her mind was scrabbling around and trying to recollect the time this happened. Was ___________'s host a creation, too? It probably was, as she had confirmed it personally. The unnamed woman leaned on a table and continued talking.

"That was because you hadn't meant to create me in the first place, so you tried to undo it by keeping me inside you. That also means I get privileged scoops to your life whether I like it or not."

Her words instantly caused the comfortable atmosphere to plummet. Miki's mood dropped as well and an exaggeratedly horrified expression plastered itself in place. Her partner grinned at her reddening face. _________ felt lucky that she wasn't able to see through Miki's thoughts, those private moments belonged solely to Miki. She herself would not have known any of this if Piko didn't take it upon himself to show them, and luckily he was considerate enough to censor them. How did he know all this in the first place?

Time sped up in a moment's notice. __________ was pulled out from the woman and the scene continued playing itself as years and decades leapt by; Miki living there with the woman whom she named Riulcendea, Miki teaching Riulcendea the ways her creation magic worked, the village slowly flourishing and separating itself into many other villages as new creations of the two friends started making themselves known to the world. Word of their magic soon spread, and the two were elected to guide the people as monarchs. From that point onward, __________ was not locked in someone else's memories anymore and could wander freely.

Miki detached herself as the position was only all too familiar for her to feel comfortable with, and for unknown reasons, the two started living in different cities under friendly circumstances while Riulcendea stayed on. Life was happy for the two, Riulcendea occasionally paying visits to the now empty village to see Miki, the sole living being there, as she continued guiding her village to prosperity. At this point, the show had started to slow down and the happenings afterward made themselves known. As Miki's village had started to fail, so did Miki's health.

__

The identities of her villagers were all created based on parts of her life; her past experiences were made into living, breathing souls and these processes required her own lifespan and memories in order to make one soul with a personality from scratch. Even after their birth, their lives sapped her energy merely to live on and as they died, so did a part of her. Their prolonged existences drained her mentally, emotionally and physically, there was neither an alternative nor a cure for using such sorcery for her.

__

__________ could feel Riulcendea's sadness becoming known each time she came; and soon her visits ranged from rare to none. During those lonely times, Miki had become bedridden with illness and all she could soon see were the walls of an abandoned prison. The nearest window was coated with a layer of grime, and only the most determined rays could pierce through them and greet her sight. Miki's eyes that used to show so much emotion no longer portrayed liveliness, and she started losing her grip on life as it meandered on at its lowest point.

__

Riulcendea had stopped going over to see Miki, as she herself did not experience the curse but was forced to watch her dear friend's life inch closer to the brink of death. As she had seen most of Miki's life, her creations were taken from her feelings that birthed whenever she watched Miki perform juvenile actions or carrying out her jobs. She had no experience in a life of her own, and thus her own magic was built off of others' views. Despite the fact that it consumed less energy than Miki's, Riulcendea used a different way by inserting life through humanoid dolls to prolong her lifespan. She knew that her friend's death was just around the corner and ached for a companion that would keep her rooted to her responsibilities and her large village once she was gone.

__

Fairy dust accumulated from __________'s sides and a scene of Riulcendea holding a small piece of glowing light in her castle materialized itself in front of the previous slideshow. Riulcendea gazed at it with an unreadable expression, and hugged it close to her after a while. Soon, the light began moulding itself as it grew in size, and a humanoid figure started to take shape. When the transformation was complete, a young man stood in front of her with his big red eyes staring at hers curiously.

_And so, Kurotane Piko was born, with a rogue strand of hair that resembled Miki's own._

The village continued bustling with its usual fervor, but as Riulcendea went on her usual patrolling routes, she was not alone anymore. Beside her, the young man with long black hair and brightly colored eyes kept at her heel. He listened to her greet the other townspeople, and his line of sight never strayed from her. When at home, he would sit patiently and listen to her rattle off his jobs for that day with a straight face.

__

He showed little to no emotion, and would help her by shouldering her responsibilities if he wasn't performing errands by passing messages between the two women. Sure enough, he was loyal to Riulcendea and all his attention was focused only on her. It was only a matter of time when his reliability and obedience would gain romantic feelings from his creator, and when that time came, it changed Riulcendea's own emotions into another emotional baggage with the guilt that succeeded Miki's death.

__

During a point in time, Piko had brought back a message for her. When Riulcendea was done perusing the last letter from her friend, Piko had seen her face change subtly but she shed no light on them. She had left quickly after that, and proceeded to cry in her room with him outside, listening to her but was hesitant to console her. His actions told ___________ that he himself did not know what to do to console her. When Riulcendea reemerged from her room again, he was already gone.

_She could not comfort herself, regardless of the fact that she had explicitly wished for Miki's wellbeing and had dabbled in all sorts of ways to help her. You see, Riulcendea blamed herself for even assisting in hastening Miki's death by giving life based off of Miki's experiences instead of her own. Unfortunately, Kurotane Piko with his emotional wall had no sympathy to offer her, and his speeches in addition to actions did not insinuate any hidden thoughts that coincided with hers. With her strong feelings for him and her responsibilities to the village entrenched deeply in her with nowhere to go, she longed for a confidant with whom she could unwind herself. Therefore, the clone that bore Kurotane Piko's features coupled with a bright and kind personality, Utatane Piko was brought to the world._

It was the same process, the magic and ingredients that were used to gift him with a soul. However, whereas Riulcendea was only accompanied by one Piko during her rounds before, two of them now flanked her sides and she often watched Utatane Piko rush around excitedly. He spoke to anyone that even spared a glance at him, and soon he was the talk of the town.

_With the twins occasionally picking at each other when they weren't talking to her, Riulcendea thought that her life would finally be in equilibrium. Utatane Piko's friendship had lightened her burdens, his brimming curiosity could only be put on hold by Kurotane Piko to prevent him from becoming a liability to Riulcendea and that role alone had put him in countless ruts. Their unintentional antics often put a smile on her face, and she confided in Utatane Piko on everything ranging from welfares to secrets. Meanwhile, Kurotane Piko's chance to be on the receiving end of his mistress's attention dwindled._

As time passed, Riulcendea hardly talked to Kurotane Piko anymore. Her free time was spent chatting with Utatane Piko, and his presence that had once been mildly inconvenient to him was now outrightly threatening his own place in Riulcendea's life. Only the duplicates knew this, and they began to be hostile to each other. Their petty jabs were often returned with insults which invoked their anger more than usual. Their numerous fights kept Riulcendea busy, and her life was stressed once again. None of them spoke of this to her, but she had known because their lives were connected to hers. She knew they were fighting for her attention, but this only made her even more busy trying to keep her huge town and personal life in check. This time, she was watching them fight verbally. Her once youthful face was no longer that, she had somehow aged within a short span of time but _________ could not pinpoint the reason.

_As the townspeople all originated from Riulcendea, their emotions were linked to hers. Theirs would be crushed if their creator could not control her own, and for it to happen the second time was the last straw for them. Riulcendea had stopped caring for her city altogether, her life had reached its limit. As she had never gone out of her way to befriend anyone else except the two Pikos, there was a frosty reception towards her personal life. The townspeople blamed her, and her guilt only spurred their anger._

_________ now saw familiar images flow by her. The two Pikos trying everything they could to protect Riulcendea, separating themselves after their chat in the castle's corridors, Utatane Piko saving Riulcendea from the hatred of her people and sacrificing himself to keep her guilt in check after sending her into a magic slumber. During all this time, Kurotane Piko was absent. __________ could remember a time where Riulcendea had woken up due to Kurotane Piko's unintended intrusion, and wondered what she had to do with all this. She knew she had a role, but just where and when was she inserted into this story?

___________, you were meant to be another creation of Riulcendea, meant to live a life she could only wish for by merely populating her city and enjoy the blue skies under her protection. However, her reign ended before she could provide you with a vessel of your own._

_As she has spent too long dreaming of freedom far away from these matters, a world of her desires had formed within her mind. As long as she remembers those dear to her, they will exist in her dream for eternity unless she chooses to forget them. Riulcendea's consciousness has already lost its hold long ago, and she clings to you for stability. I am showing you her life because your identity has already merged with hers ever since she fell into slumber. As long as you are able to see her life through her eyes, she will regain her past too._

_She is too shaken to confront the demon of her past, and her increasing guilt is what haunts the dream world. ___________, I implore you. Please, help her._

Now that Utatane Piko had dug up Riulcendea's past, __________ was tasked with the responsibility to heal her mind. She still couldn't decide who was actually in control here, for she had previously shattered into dust a few times only to be reborn again in this dream world. There was no telling what had transpired during the times she was gone, but so far she wasn't harmed yet. Once all this blew over, Riulcendea would either send her into oblivion or actually give a chance for her to live a separate life. There was no leeway for her, she knew that much. There was also no choice for her, as she was soon sent back to Riulcendea's world a moment later. She could only hope that no one would cast her off after she had solved their drama for them.


	40. Chapter Thirty Four : Heart To Heart

Chapter Thirty Four : Heart To Heart

Darkness dissipated, with light filling her in on her surroundings. As her senses came to, her ears registered the voice of a familiar. As the mist started to fade away, she could hear Kurotane Piko's frantic words. With her newly regained vision, she scanned for the piece of old stone with that blasted name engraved on it, but it was nowhere to be seen. It seemed to her that she had woke up to Piko's arm draped around her, and her body was propped against his as if she was already dead. One would have thought she woke up due to being called back from a dream, when in reality Piko just wasn't being gentle this time when most of his kinder attempts were in vain.

When Riulcendea finally looked back at him, he cupped her face before staring straight into her eyes. He may have been trying to help or just checking whether she would faint again, and the latter wasn't far from the truth when he was oblivious to the effect he had on her. His intense gaze sent the blood rushing back to her cheeks as well as waking up the rest of her groggy senses, and looked away before they could overwhelm her. While Riulcendea tried to calm herself down from another near overload, Piko heaved a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad you weren't dying."

"I—I don't die easily. I won't."

Those words may not have been the most reassuring thing to say considering their location. Riulcendea felt as if her head had been ripped open when she regained her grasp, and once she was back to normal she started observing the graveyard around her again. Nope, nothing had changed. The place still looked as dead as ever, the tombstones behind and in front of them were still in their respective spots, nothing trying to claw their way out of their uneven resting places. No news, as far as she could see. No winged creatures flying overhead. No living, breathing things aside from herself and Piko. The situation waited for progression as awkwardness lingered in the air with the two waiting for the other to respond. Feeling the atmosphere pressuring her, Riulcendea snuck a peek at her companion who was hugging his knees.

This time, Piko's face wasn't an unreadable mask anymore. His face had an odd emotion for once, he wasn't bothering to hide it. Then, he shrunk into a ball. Seeing these actions from him, Riulcendea wondered if she had been in more danger than she realized. She remembered that Piko wasn't one to show his emotions openly, but for her to faint again out of who knew how many times must have taken a toll on him. She moved closer to him and touched his elbow in the hopes of getting him to confide in her. The light brush did not go unnoticed; Piko raised his head but just enough to show that he felt it. The small action that spoke volumes to both lapsed away slowly as one awaited the answer of the other.

"Do you . . remember her now?"

Piko spoke up uneasily after a moment of silence. This time instead of a wide-eyed curiosity from her, she now fell even more silent ( if that was possible ) and started focusing on the dirt in front of her. Conflict played chase within her eyes, and soon she was lost within the past again. When she finally stopped looking at the ground and faced Piko, her gaze was more of a mature woman rather than an amnesiac girl. Even her answer now bordered upon brevity, he knew in that moment that he had already lost that innocent facade to the experiences that her destiny had forced upon her.

"Yes."

Riulcendea the former queen now stood up, it was as if she did not offer any reassurance to Piko at all. He suddenly felt very alone, if she had regained her memories, then she would also know who the other Piko was. He watched her survey the graveyard, her pose looking more controlled and less unsure as he tried to block out the dark thoughts in his mind to no avail. He would not have minded relishing in this precious moment with his companion who may have already known her next move, but what kept grabbing his attention was the small white doll that was tied at her clothes.

He was dead. Dead, long gone. Good for her, he wasn't even helpful to her while he was still under her care. Who said he had charm? He was as charming as a dead slug, unattractive and completely revolting. All that white on him was just to make him seem angelic, and who knew what he had done to get him closer to her? He could even butcher bystanders and still look great with all their blood flowing down him, but himself on the other han—

"Piko, thank you for bringing me here."

Riulcendea's words jolted him out of his hateful reverie, and their gazes locked when he looked up at her. As if trying to regain his bearings, he pushed himself up hastily. When he replied, composure had already masked the loud gears in him and he was able to speak smoothly once more under Riulcendea's heavy stare.

"You're welcome?"

"I did not mean to lord over them. If I can restore the turmoil in me, perhaps they won't hunt us down anymore."

Ever since they had left the ruined castle, there weren't any more attacks or ambushes on the two. The trip had been tranquil so far, and there was no telling what would happen in the next few seconds or so. As if that had been the same thought in their minds, Riulcendea hurried to where she assumed Miki's grave would be, with Piko following close behind. When she reached the grave, he thought he saw something flicker across her face.

"Miki . . Miki, I'm sorry."

With a rather odd sounding voice, she knelt while keeping her eyes on the chipped name engraved upon the tombstone. Piko did not have anything interesting to look at since he did not have such drama in his life ever since his double went to the other side, but he watched the one-sided conversation anyway. All was quiet for a few moments, then Riulcendea started pouring out her feelings to her deceased friend. The wall around her came down, and so did her tears.

"I'm sorry, Miki. If . . If I-I had tried . . tried to h-help you more, then . . . Would you h-have been alive?"

It was as if time had started crawling, enough for Riulcendea to lift the decades of weight off her chest. Piko listened to her fears, the insecure times that dragged on after her death, and how they had kept them at bay ( probably him and the other Piko ), and the litany of apologies succeeded them soon enough. He heard her description of the numerous things that happened after that, and how the town had given up hope on her guilt going out of control and was now out to extinguish her, the long journey to this graveyard. She placed deliberation upon the words she chose, as if a wrong word would end up placing blame on someone else too. During this time, Piko gained an insight into who she truly was; a young soul fearful or harm inflicted upon others and herself despite being a witness to many, and one who indulged in demanding responsibilities in order to guide her creations to a bright future.

As the confessions died down, so did the sobs. Her attempts to stop them were hidden behind her hands. Sensing a pause progress into a longer one, he leveled himself down by her side and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before patiently waiting out the sadness in her. Riulcendea looked up at him with teary eyes before sinking down into her palms again.

"W-What do we do now?"

She had already said what there was to be said to a dear friend, and now they had nothing of importance to do after that other than get on the move. Both of them knew why, but where to? They were fugitives. There wasn't anywhere to go that would offer sanctuary to them. The peace of their lives had descended just like that, and now their faces couldn't be shown anywhere else. She raised her head and looked at him for advice, only to receive none.

"I . . I don't know."

For once, Piko actually sounded hesitant of himself. He hadn't calculated this far ahead, even though it should have been the thought with the highest priority when they had been resting in the cave. Riulcendea hadn't paid any attention to that either, her own motives were to regain her memories first before doing anything else. Left with nothing to do, Piko let her calm herself down before asking for her opinion.

"What would you like to do, instead?"

Now that Riulcendea had already resolved the guilt that once weighed her heart down, she was set free from the chains that previously pulled her and her kingdom down to its current ruin. She didn't think she had any control left over her kingdom, as her citizens surely wouldn't let an incapable queen back atop her throne. She had chosen the paths that had sent her reign flailing twice, and now her position was permanently denied. Was she doomed to become a fugitive with Piko for the rest of her life?

Well, at least she could atone for her sins by taking care of him. Not saying that he was unable to defend himself, but misery loves company no matter how much she wanted to say nay, and her feelings had a hand in that choice too. As for him, he should be fine on his own. He shouldn't have his hands full with her either. For that to happen . .

Riulcendea instinctively looked down at the small doll tied to her clothes. She could opt for the easy way out, and act like all this never happened. She had _________, and Utatane Piko who wanted her to be there with him. As long as she remained there, then she would be able to release Kurotane Piko to live out his own life. That place was much more accepting in terms of reputation too. She did not know if her apology was accepted by Miki ( if her spirit even persisted after death ), and who knew if all the guilt would haunt her again? Utatane Piko couldn't leave her unless she explicitly told him to leave or left herself, after all. The one who enjoyed her company was him, not the sulky one beside her now.

Both of them deserved better than this. Kurotane Piko should be left to his own instead of being her bodyguard in the first place, and Utatane Piko should not be alone. She would take up the name and the appearance of __________ to avoid suspicion, but who should she be with? She couldn't possibly survive on her own, no matter how tempting it may be if only to lessen the burden on both of them.

Speaking of which, did Kurotane Piko ever say that he despised her company?

"I think I'd like to . . .

a. Stay ( proceed to ⇑ )  
b. Leave ( proceed to ⇓ )


	41. ⇑ Chapter Thirty Five Choice One : Stay

⇑ Chapter Thirty Five Choice One : Stay

. . . . Try and continue existing."

Riulcendea already gave considerable thought to the choices laid for her. She was already alive, breathing and not dead yet. It would be understandable if she wanted to leave it all behind, but right now she just wanted to try and keep herself in one piece. She'll die if she has to, but there wasn't any need to do it now. She had experienced these things and actually resolved them herself, she wanted to indulge in this floating feeling of having left them all behind her without having to resort to the other choice. 

Beside her, her attractive companion managed a small smile. Their eyes met, and she could decipher a small sense of relief forming behind the alluring gaze. Kurotane Piko had an expression that he almost never wore since he had no reason to, he looked proud of her for once. Had he gained an insight on the choices she had?

"You already exist. Even if you left, no one would forget you."

He may have meant exactly what he said, but Riulcendea couldn't silence her inquiry as to whether she had a special place in his heart. It was hard to tell whether he meant anything else as his comments normally sounded as if he had no heart in it. His tone this time was no different despite his features showing otherwise, no matter how much Riulcendea wanted to believe otherwise. Asking him wasn't that hard, but why was every inch of her protesting against it and clamping her mouth shut? As she was flipping an imaginary coin, Piko voiced out his own question instead.

"Princess? Are there any places as to where you'd like to go next?"

" . . .no . ."

It seemed that Riulcendea was the only nervous one here. Perhaps he was already planning their next destination, and maybe that's why he wasn't looking at her when he spoke. Or maybe they were thinking of the same thing. Where should they go? What would they do, and how were they supposed to endure the life paved out ahead of them? Possibilities wrestled each other in her head, thereby adding layers upon her initial nervousness. Piko's voice was what brought her back to reality a few moments later.

"Then . . Would you mind if I stayed with you?"

Again, Piko wasn't looking straight at her. His attention was on the ground that had no outstanding qualities, which surely meant that he was implying something else as well. Riulcendea was certain she did not mishear it, since none of them had maintained contact with their large circle of acquaintances. That was what led them to this stage, and there was no easy way of recovering what smidgen of connection they had with them. In the meantime they would have to stick together.

She spoke the answer in her mind aloud, trying to deduce the implied question while simultaneously trying not to melt into a blushing puddle by focusing on his eyes. Piko did not pay any heed to that, he was still looking at the ground.

"I don't mind."

If Piko was feeling anything at that moment, he did not show it anymore. Instead, he stood up and offered her a hand with fingers half curled and slightly quivering as if he was already regretting the action. Riulcendea wondered what he thought about all this, with the other Piko gone, they were all alone. Nevertheless, she accepted the invitation and kept her hand in his while they made their way out of the graveyard. He did not pull away, which Riulcendea was inwardly grateful for. She wasn't being too forward, after all.

As they left the entrance, they were back into the village. There were still no sounds that indicated unwanted company. The pavement was clean, empty of life and death except for the graveyard they were in. For a place which previously was her deceased friend's work, it was pretty clean and deprived of danger. Piko remembered the twists and turns of the road as well as Riulcendea did, so both of them sauntered on side by side instead of front and back. She busied herself with imagining life here before their departure, or else she would have given extra thought to the hand in hers. 

"Piko, what was this place like?"

"Pretty lively, I believe."

"Were they still that way when Miki was sick?"

"No. They were already gone."

"How did you know which grave she was at?"

"I was the one who buried her. Everyone was gone by then."

"How did you know her name?"

"The first letter she sent to you had her signature on it. She never signed them anymore after knowing she was the only one who engaged in communication through correspondence."

"Why did you ask me to look for her grave at first? I had absolutely no idea where she was buried."

"My memory of her grave's location was vague at that time."

"What can you say about Utatane Piko, then?"

They had just rounded a corner. The sudden change of topic to an unwelcome one halted Piko's movements. He lowered his head when he heard the name from her lips, causing the comfortable atmosphere to drop. Riulcendea knew he disliked the other Piko, but curiosity had the upper hand and she found it leaving her without any concern for his feelings about it. Time passed at a dreadfully slow rate while the mood shifted from merely awkward to dangerous. She never knew Piko had harbored such intense hatred towards him, wasn't it just a common distaste?

" . . He is everything I'm not."

His tone was unnaturally calm, as if his badly hidden temper was boiling just below the surface and ready to explode any moment. His grip on her hand had tightened as well but his hair curtained his face, rendering his emotions closed off to her. It would have been best for her to lay off the subject since just a name could send her companion into a rage, but how many fights had they gotten into behind her back? She knew it was a harmful action to take, it had already damaged his view of her as well as her pride. She had to stop that from happening again. Not because of curiosity. He wouldn't take that.

"I'm sorry, Piko. I don't know what came over me when I did that, I can't let it happen again. That's why I have to know, so that I can prevent it."

The words were meticulously chosen so as to sugarcoat the real reason, but Piko wasn't placated. He lifted his head a little, just enough for one eye to glare daggers at her. His thoughts were conveyed through just that eye, he had many pieces of his mind to hand over but all he spat out was one word with all his emotions contained within.

"Liar."

In the space of one syllable was years of anger and discontentment, enough to pierce through her and leave burning regret in the scars of their wake. The sparks were not enough to torch away the indignant words swirling around in her, but Piko wasn't there to listen anymore. He pivoted around to face her fully, and his hands gripped her shoulders as his rage became words that moulded the times of the past into his perspective.

"Why wasn't I enough for you? You talked to me and I listened, but he just keeps interrupting you! I stayed quiet throughout all that, he didn't! I did your errands for you, he had another life! He talked to other people while I stayed! He . . He is not as devoted to you as I am!"

With each sentence, his rage fizzled and shattered the wall around him. His words were articulated in a way that revealed the cracks in him and outlined the insecurity nestled within. The outburst of realization wriggled into Riulcendea's conscience, and now she had the answer to the problem as well as her curiosity. The next reply wasn't going to be kind, so she had to wait for the remaining indignance to leak away before they could manifest into hurtful spears. Once they shriveled into newly birthed guilt, she stared straight at his eyes and spoke as kindly as she could manage.

Would it reassure him of how she truly felt about him?

"You're feeling inferior to him, right?"

Piko's eyes widened, and the crease between his eyebrows loosened. Riulcendea waited for another outburst but all she could scrutinize was him assessing her words. Did she hit the mark? There was no answer indicating a negative or an affirmative. 

Finally, his defensive gaze wilted into shame. Only a little bit, as he already had shielded his face from her eagerness. 

"Maybe."

That was all he said and soon they were back to exiting the village again. He withdrew his hands with the intent of reflecting on his intense display of emotion, and Riulcendea was the one who had to keep on holding his hand. 

He did not protest.

~

Both of them had considered staying in the village since people tended to avoid it, but it meant that they would have to live life among the marked ground with dead bodies in them. That was a no-no. Now as they ascended the hill, Riulcendea looked back at the empty residential area. Piko paused as well when he felt her stop but did not gaze back, probably still shaken from the sudden confession earlier. 

They were leaving her behind. No going back, no more selfishness. No more dreaming. They have to be on the move almost constantly now. Indecisiveness cannot be tolerated anymore. She had let that seep into her previous life, and look where that got her. Shaking her head, Riulcendea turned away and tugged on his hand, which prompted Piko to start walking away briskly.

Speaking of indecisiveness, Piko was that when he last shown her his misdirected anger. He was already experiencing it, on whether he should stay with her, and he should know how she felt about him if she had to curb it. He was loyal, but he was not affectionate. That was one of the mistakes she had committed, he was not originally created to be a love interest. To tell him in no uncertain terms that she needed him would mean that—

Well, he'd believe that. Why were the words so short but so hard to say? Her mind was saying no, no, too risky, he'll stop caring about her that much and her heart was in no position to argue. The one time she had courage was when Piko had a breakdown, and to do it now? Better scrunch up what wretched little hope was remaining and bare herself to him. 

Then? What if he said no? 

They've been living like this for so long. Inner desires meant to be hidden would have merged into the shadows by then. She could just tell him that she liked him. More than the other Piko. That statement itself was half true, as the only reason was that she harbored romantic feelings towards Kurotane Piko instead of platonic. Otherwise, Utatane Piko was closer to a living being with thoughts and emotions, more understanding and also more willing to expound upon it, therefore a better and wiser match albeit an already imaginary one.

This dark-haired, red-eyed Piko had none of that. He'd never say anything unless specifically told to. It seemed that Utatane Piko really was everything he wasn't, as he had stated more than once. 

That did not make Riulcendea feel any less towards him. He didn't know that. If those thoughts were what haunted him for such a long time, then it would be better to tell him—

"I'm sorry, princess."

She could hear his heartfelt thoughts this time, but the apology sounded as if he had committed a gravely intolerable sin. Without waiting for Riulcendea's verdict, he started talking about the person he despised so much.

"I do not know what you think about him, and I don't want to know either. He doesn't try to hide what he thinks, and his affection towards you is plain as day. I'm often around him to keep him from trouble, and whenever you show up, he looks at you. He gets to show how much he cares about you, and he knows that too."

After the eruption, Riulcendea could read into what he was trying to say behind those sentences. She wouldn't trust him so much if she didn't know him as well as she already did. He was pieced together from parts of her life, after all.

_And I can't._

It's time to say something about it. Riulcendea cut him off before he could say anything else, and then they came pouring out.

"He may feel that way, but you are the one who truly understands me. He wasn't there when you were, you were there to listen to me. It's alright to be angry at me, I was the one who took you for granted. For that, I am truly sorry."

Piko was very obviously taken aback by it, for he took some time to comprehend it while his eyes clouded with an unfamiliar emotion. He could be judging her now, but she could not let this chance slip again. Who knew when the next will be? Self-blame was already trickling into her being, and he pivoted to face her once she gave his hand a tug. Her pride gave out in small chunks as she continued to speak.

"Despite what he has done for me, he cannot replace you. To be honest, I missed Miki and I still wanted her to be with me even though she was leaving. That was why you were created. To be by my side and be a friend whom I could rely on. I unintentionally made you into a replacement for someone else."

"Me. Made to replace someone else."

Piko echoed the words, another peculiar emotion replacing the earlier one. There was a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, and it did not look friendly. He may be starting to despise her now. She was saying to his face that he had no value, but his next words had no trace of hatred at all. 

"Not on whim, princess?"

"No."

"Then I had a reason to live."

Then something happened out of the blue. Piko's face was not a tirade of sadness or anger anymore, there was a small smile where a straight line should have been. For the first time in ages, his face was not sunken and lifeless. If Riulcendea paid close attention to him, she could have seen mildly radiant light. It was an emotion he never showed around anyone, and it was a miracle to see. For a second, it looked like he knew his purpose in life.

"Oh, princess. It feels nice to hear that."

The way he said it, it was as if he was misunderstanding the implication. 

"I thought I was another being you created randomly. If that was not true, then I thought you could care less if I ever joined her. I don't have to, now."

It was an odd sight to see, the Piko whose face was normally unreadable was now smiling naturally. He should have been offended by that, but he wasn't. Riulcendea tried to ignore her heart pounding strongly against her rib cage by continuing to talk.

"I valued you more than anything else, because you were what kept me going throughout these years. If it were not for your presence, I would have considered taking my life once she was gone. It wasn't just because you once told me to stay, it was because I clung so much to you that I started to love you."

She could not be smiled at like that and not feel her control slowly coming to pieces. The grey skies providing a shadow from herself was what kept her on merely friendly terms with him. If there was a time she needed full support from a guilt filled confession, it would be now. No one can offer it and make it as trustworthy as Kurotane Piko can. Risky, but it was now or never. 

"I've loved you for a long time, Piko."

What was left of her bravery left her in that instant. She already bared out her heart to him, and not to know the answer . . Nervousness was what made her feet feel like stone, and her bones were stiff from the confession. The air around them was still, and the heat was getting more overbearing by the second as her face reddened. A simpering smile found its way onto her lips, and then she was making eye contact with him. He was looking back, looking at her with an expression that only made her feel even more naked than she was now. She should move on, let Piko guide the way and not stand here for his answer. Better yet, stuff herself into a hole and never come o—

Both his hands clasped onto hers as he stared down at them with conflict.

"I don't know what I'm feeling, princess."

"What?"

"I don't know what you're saying."

The hopeful emotions seeping into her were snatched away almost as soon as he said that and left her feeling defeated. Of course. He had feelings, but not necessarily what they meant. She had dropped several hints in the past, but they had gone right over his head. What made her think it would be today? Just learning a new emotion didn't mean that he'd show her anything else. He wasn't any different. Angry at her own idiotic self, her hands unknowingly balled into fists.

"Princess."

"What."

"Is this a love confession?"

" . . . Yes."

"What do I do?"

His words seemed forced, as if he wanted to say nothing but knew very well that he shouldn't. He shifted away from her eyes and looked somewhere else, an almost unnoticeable pink dusting his cheeks.

"Do you feel the same way?"

"I don't know."

"If you can reply without thinking, then it's a no." Riulcendea couldn't hide her disappointment, and Piko visibly tensed.

"But, princess, you'll leave if it's a no, right?"

"What does it matter?"

"It does matter to me! You'll leave, and I don't want that. Not when you agreed to stay with me. . ."

Not another explosion, but not meek either. The hands around hers tightened, and then his blush darkened to red. 

"Please don't leave. Tell me how to feel. I don't know what I'm feeling, but I know I want to be with you."

Another crooked answer. Oh well . . If that's what he wants, then it shouldn't be hard. They have an entire life dedicated to the two of them to work this out. Riulcendea tugged gently, which made Piko release her. The magic was broken. Despite the increasing sadness encasing her, she wasn't numbed enough to feel the brush on her elbow.

_I'm here for you._

For now, that answer can suffice. What was in store was unknown to them, but they have each other to rely on. For now, that was the best they could ask for. She urged Piko onwards, and they resumed their journey into the new future. 

~END OF MY FAIRY TALE~


	42. ⇓ Chapter Thirty Five Choice Two : Leave

⇓ Chapter Thirty Five Choice Two : Leave

" . . Leave."

Although she should have been released from the chains of the past by confessing the truth to her friend, it didn't mean that all those other graves would forgive her for it. Ever since they was separated in this very village and took a trip only to end up back here again, she had been able to focus on duties that were important to herself and only herself. Who knew what Miki was thinking during those times she had her privacy? Who could say if she was forgiven just by talking? 

No one. Because they were all dead, silenced and unable to hand out their opinion. If she were to truly prove her regret, well, actions were louder than words. She could leave, cut off all her ties with the people she had known all her life. It would be fitting. Riulcendea would cease to exist. No one would suffer, and no one would hunt her down. Kurotane Piko would be free to do as he pleased.

" . . . Princess, is that what you truly wish to do?"

"Yes."

As if by telepathy, Kurotane Piko understood what that one word meant. Despite this, he did not offer any argument. Their voices faded away as the unfortunate reality set in. There was still a rebellious part trying to force its way out of the wall she enforced within her, but reason triumphed shortly after. She had been selfish during the first part of her life, she cannot afford to be selfish now. The first step would be . .

"Piko, do you wish to start a new life?"

" . . I don't know."

"It'll be better for you not to be dragged down by me. No one will hunt you down anymore if I'm gone."

She knew it was a pathetic of her, hoping that Piko would try and convince her to keep on staying awake, but surely it'll fade soon. When strings of silence weaved a wall between them, she finally spared Piko a glance. He could help her with this favor. No one in the world would blame him for going through what she was proposing. 

" . . . So be it."

The tone of voice he was using sounded as if he was putting a stop to the thoughts in his head. He looked back at her, and promptly marched off into the village after standing up without bothering to pick up his tail. Feeling equal parts of nervousness and hesitance, Riulcendea trod after him. After a while, they entered a familiar looking house that had once been the cage that ensnared a particular somebody. 

Riulcendea seated herself on a comfortable chair while Piko remained standing. After making sure that she wasn't going to budge, he left after a goodbye. Riulcendea stared at his tail that he had left trailing on the ground ever since they left the graveyard.

No chance for her to chase after it again. She had relied on him enough.

~

__________ knew she was staying in this dream world permanently as her thoughts came back in pieces as well as her body. Darkness was all around her, and there was nothing noteworthy to inspect. There was no more light tunnel to crawl through, just pitch black as far as she could see. The terrain was flat and she could walk anywhere if only she knew where to go.  
Riulcendea had sought for closure after her confession to a tombstone, and that was not enough apparently. Even worse, she chose such a depressing place to sleep. _________ could understand a small bit of her reason for doing that since she was there to see the graveyard through Riulcendea's eyes and thus able to feel what she was feeling, but why couldn't she see that living was the best way to make her friend happy? For whatever reason, but what she had chosen to do instead was just heartbreaking.

As _________ started wondering whether she should call for the only other person who resided in this world, the voice of a crying lady reached her ears. It didn't echo, just tearful sobs coming from just in front of __________. It was so close that she could even predict when a sniffle or a sob would be heard, but there was no on—

Crimson specks of fairy dust floated down from the abyss above her. _________ had been in enough situations where red of that color was a loud siren itself to run away from, but this time there was no malice emanating from them. They piled up on the ground in front of her as countless others trickled down from the sky, and __________ watched them build up in fascination while the sobs grew louder with each speck that poured down.

After some time, the specks stopped falling and they began to take the shape of a lady with long red hair. Her figure was clothed and hunched over, and there was even a rogue piece of her hair that slumped down in the shape of a hook. Her shoulders trembled slightly as shaky sighs escaped her. _________ didn't know what to do about this lady ( whom she guessed was probably Miki from what Utatane Piko had shown her ) but there wasn't anything else shining directions at her, so she got down on eye level while trying to come up with kind responses. 

"Thank . . T-Thank you . . She . . She's come . . . To terms with . . . H-Herself . . Thank you . ." 

There was nothing to be said from __________'s point of view, but Miki looked up at ________ with grateful as well as tearful eyes. Her hands moved to clutch the other's, and soon they were enclosed in warmth. From what Piko had shown her through pieces of memories, this was the friend that Riulcendea had had for quite some time and had a life that was more saddening than her friend's before passing away. The girl continued to cry while thanking ________ profusely. At a loss of what to do, __________ filtered through her mind for a suitable conversation topic but Miki beat her to it. Not a conversation topic, rather, but an event that occurred.

She dissolved into crimson specks again while the sobs died down, and instead of flying straight at __________, they merely grouped together and formed the opening of a passage. Only darkness lay beyond the entrance, and for a moment _________ had the thought of jumping through the hoop. The sides of the makeshift door swirled with tendrils akin to snakes, but none of of them tried to attack her when she neared them. It didn't look like it would harm her, but it didn't spell progress either. When curiosity took over her wariness, _________ finally questioned the door since there wasn't anything physical enough to reply.

"What's this?"

"You're now living in her stead, so you should know about this world by experiencing its history instead of basing them on rumors."

Not the answer she wanted, but the extra information sounded appealing. _________ knew she probably wasn't getting a body of her own any time soon, so she would have to live here and wait. Until then, interesting events would have to be scripted or invented by someone who came here by choice and not fabricated by Riulcendea or anyone else. One of those in charge wasn't here right now. She still had the vivid memory of the same tendrils here slithering away from him, and if she were to jump to conclusions, he was a person of power here.

Right in front of her were answers, answers that she could finally use to temper down her irritation and helplessness. A foot reached forward; a hand braced against the arch, and soon she was engulfed by the tendrils. No one was making her sleep now, she could see everything happen while a stage role encased her. Then . .

__________ looked down at her arms and body. No puzzle piece moved to wrap her within their shells. Her arms remained bare; somehow free of scars and cloth pieces too. The same old clothes were what she was wearing, and they didn't enlarge into anything else either. She wasn't in someone else's body this time, as there wasn't any unfamiliar feeling that even remotely indicated that she was someone else. She was herself and only her own self. This time, she got a new chance to act as herself and not as another—

"Hey, miss . . Do you know what place this is?"

A familiar voice startled her. She turned to look at him fully and found herself face to face with Utatane Piko. They were still in a void, but this Piko in front of her sounded . . younger than usual. The Piko whom she knew was not so trusting; his voice was a bit deeper and more guarded, no matter where he was. Their eyes remained mismatched, however, and so was the height. Even their clothes were the same; the long white tunic with glowing cyan lights.

"Um . . Miss?"

"Uh, no. No, I don't know."

The answer flew out of her when she was least expecting it. She first wanted to ask him who he was but she answered his question instead. Judging from her experiences, she wasn't the person she first thought she was. Was this in the past again? Had she been here before?

Then, her feet began to move. To where, she never got to know as the Piko lookalike grabbed her sleeve. Feeling her curiosity brimming again, her eyes took in his hand and trailed all the way to his face.

"Miss . . What's your name?"

"My name?"

Of course, the past _________ was wary of him as well. She did not give him her name, just as careful with her identity as the future ________ too. Well, as much as they can be.

"I'm Piko. Utatane Piko."

" . . . _________. That's me."

"Huh? ___________? Is that truly your name?"

For some reason, Piko doubted that the name belonged to her. Did he expect her name to be called Riulcendea? Probably, but her hair was short this time and her clothes weren't elegant. 

"Yes."

"Ah, I see."

He relinquished his grip once understanding dawned within his eyes, but he continued scrutinizing her from head to toe. Once he was satisfied, understanding gave way to questioning and when he made eye contact with her again, he was wearing a face that saw her as a longtime friend, understanding and mildly concerned.

"__________, shouldn't you be somewhere else right now?"

"Where am I supposed to be?"

"Somewhere . . Elsewhere? Why are you here?"

"How would I know?"

_________ herself had no idea where she was right now, but she knew Piko was probably asking her why he hadn't seen her before when he was still alive. Maybe. She remembered that Riulcendea wanted to prepare a soul for herself and even consulted both Pikos about her, but she became a fugitive before it could happen. Was this after the time when Utatane Piko had sent her to sleep? Likely.

"Ah, it's okay. Never mind that."

Piko did not receive a reply, which was just as well. He fell into deep thought, and _________ did not take her leave either. His eyes took in the minimalistic vicinity before resting on her again. 

"_________, do you have a background?"

" . . . No?"

Didn't she previously have parents? A school, acquaintances, Kurotane Piko? All of a sudden, _________ could pinpoint what was different between her past self and future self; this was only a piece of her that contained her looks and original personality. Outwardly, ________ would not change but her personality would. _________ had a memory of when she sat alone in a part of a cafeteria while students huddled within groups. 

"Would you mind if I gave you some?"

No answer, but Piko took it as a constitute of assent anyway. ________ was having mixed feelings about it, but she did not have the heart to protest. Better to let it play itself out.

"Hmm . . . You're __________, aren't you?"

Again, no answer from __________. She felt herself stiffen, as if the name belonged to someone else. Her past self was feeling it too; hollowness, emptiness as a completely blank canvas. This was the time when Riulcendea had not chosen any paint to splash upon her. Ironically, Riulcendea never got to solidify her identity but it was one of her creations who had to pick up the brush. _________ could already guess what background she would have, she once even thought that that was her real background before she ever got into a scuffle with the red smoke.

"You are __________, the child of a married couple. You live in a city, and you receive education in a facility not far from where you will live."

At Piko's words, books came flying out of nowhere to his sides. Glowing radiantly, they emitted warmth as they stopped just inches from Piko's arms. Each of them flipped open their covers, showing off pure white with nothing upon them. Piko's eyes flitted over each one curiously while the incomplete __________ only stood there in amazement at the hovering books. There was only the sound of pages fluttering as they started showing off visions of her future life. 

There was a scene with pavements and cafes; another with both girls and boys wearing uniforms while chatting amiably and so forth. _________ caught glimpses between the main scenes of other places as well, she could make out the village she first saw when she was transported and the green hills with a dilapidated cottage where she once personally encountered the vicious red fog. Of course, her past self knew nothing about this.

"Why are there books beside you?"

Piko only shrugged in reply, his face showing that he had no idea as well. Visions came and went, then each of the books tore out a page and grouped together to form a new hardcover book. The cover was dark purple with frames at the spine, and it started glowing with its companions after the image of a young girl was engraved upon it. At a glance, the young girl was running from something. ___________ couldn't count the exact number of times she had run in her life, so the cover did not provide her with anything important. 

The book floated in front of Piko, and he extended his arms on autopilot. Just then, the size of the book enlarged and instantly flung itself at __________. Fright snapped her eyes shut, and soon voices crowded around her. She was swallowed by the storybook. 

___________ herself was seemingly untouched. She watched her past self delve into the storybook while Piko's limbs froze in shock. Once he was able to move, he flipped open the book and before he could do anything, the other books fell in as well. While going through the pages, the light dulled and suddenly his arm was pulled in. With nothing to do, ___________ simply watched as a tornado of books spiraled into it before a feminine voice urged her in. A tentative step, then two, then she slipped in as well.

~

During the first few weeks, the past __________ tried to live her life with Piko under the pretense of adopted siblings. She got along with her so-called parents, and soon her life moulded her into an individual within her growing body. She made friends, chatted a little but never getting too mired in drama, went through the ups and downs of life in general. During that time, Piko never deserted her. His life wasn't easier either; he followed her everywhere and made sure she never got irritated of his constant presence. While her friends were temporary, Piko did not try to leave. He was there through hell and high waters, and both of them grew reliant on each other when it came to emotional and mental talk.

Piko started falling in love with her as time passed, and he began caring more about his image as well. He stared at her longer than usual, looked away whenever he felt shy and sometimes stumbled over his words. Meanwhile, the past __________ only thought of him as cute ( which he was uncomfortable with at first but grew used to it later ) but never anything else. When the confession came, he was not turned down but ever since they took the step, all __________ could see from the sidelines was a doomed relationship. 

She could see both of them putting in effort; herself clinging onto Piko although her face suggested the opposite, and Piko liking the attention but not truly enjoying it either. He was in denial at first, mentally giving himself pep talk that she loved him as well, gave her space when she requested it while still living in a fantasy. 

But as much as he wanted to believe it, a dream can't last forever. Fights ensued, not because of _________ getting tired of how little space she had, but because she started holing herself up. She felt guilty, knowing that Piko was a better candidate than all the others but she could not gift him her heart no matter how much she tried. Meanwhile, he was sifting through his memories for the cause, fully convinced that the problem must have originated from himself. __________ knew that if she broke things off with him now, they wouldn't ever be friends again and she'd live in solitude all over again. They were reliant upon each other, but this was something she definitely couldn't tell him. 

It was painful to watch; a secret buried within her caused just as much harm to both as it did to its owner. The rift grew larger and larger with time, and despair eventually consumed Piko's sadness. Each day only added another layer of sorrow, and when _________ didn't think it could get any worse . .

"You know, Riulcendea has been dreaming up this world, and those who once played an important role in her life will continue to keep the peace here."

"What do you know?"

Piko, curled up in a corner and talking to a red flower. Upon closer look, the flower was crimson in its entirety and darker spots of red occasionally swam within its petals. _________ gasped softly even though she knew none could hear her.

"Both you and her are important to Riulcendea. She entrusted the peace of her dream to you, since your friend isn't fully developed enough to have an actual identity of her own."

Piko did not question who Riulcendea was; maybe his consciousness was brought here after he lost a physical body. 

". . . And how do you know all this?"

If _________ had not known what she did, she would assume the talking flower was lying. But she did know, and she was also not in the position to object. Piko wasn't keen on believing the flower either, but his ears were tuned to it. 

"I've been here longer than either of you. Here's a tip: she's the dreamer, you're the creator. If any part of her is unstable, the dream can collapse as well. To prevent that, you have the right to use whatever means necessary to protect her wellbeing as well."

The flower's tone sounded contemptuous but there was a good reason to support her claims. ____________ already knew what the flower was getting at, but she couldn't do anything. Her friend remained dubious, but she knew it couldn't hold against the flower's poison if it concerned someone he cared about. 

The flower waited for her sentence to sink in before driving the final nail home.

"She's crumbling inside, isn't she? Doesn't that count as harmful to her?"

"How do I help her? She won't tell me what's going on."

"Like I said, you have power. Shouldn't you find the root of all this and create a chance to make yourself better for her?"

Once she finished talking, she shriveled into red pollen and flew away without the aid of a breeze. Piko's eyes trailed after the red flower, which gave __________ a clear view of just how much he was willing to gamble upon that aspect he was just introduced to. Dread nestled itself into her heart; was Piko untrustworthy as well from the very beginning? Who knew how long ago this had transpired?

After that, Piko started turning over a new leaf. He had mistakes and bad habits, but he was adamant on changing them. Meanwhile, _________ remained cooped up in her room. When Piko finally had the golden opportunity to confront her, she was already on the brink of insanity from obsessing too much over their falling out. From the sidelines, __________ witnessed Piko knock her out and erase her memory by tearing something out from her. She saw the anguish in him as he held the piece of invisible fabric with flashes of her past life, but that wasn't enough to console the shock she currently felt. He didn't just have the ability to show her visions not unlike Miki's, he could even rub away traces of the past! 

Realization hit her; was this what he meant when he said she didn't belong in the world she originally thought? When they were atop the whale, he asked her questions that she couldn't give answers to. Didn't he tell her the truth back then, something completely unbelievable? Was this special skill the reason she thought she had a background that was based only on talk and not living proof? 

More and more uncertainties made themselves known with the bitterness and rage broiling within her. Now she had a score to settle, how could she live this down knowing that she had been had this entire time? Miki showing her all this didn't even come off as dubious even though given the times they were at odds compared to this!

"Hey! What are you showing her!?" 

An ultimately furious voice sent the vision wavering into nonexistence around ___________ as well as jolting her from her thoughts. She turned around and saw that the red arch was still behind her the whole time. This time it wasn't just emptiness awaiting her on the other side, but Utatane Piko himself. Impulsively, he put his hand on the red arch and pulled it apart, wrenching a scream from it. The red arch morphed back into Miki, her face twisted in pain as she was pulled away by her arm from between them. Both his hands now flew to grip on her arms while Piko gave her a menacing glare. Despite him being the fiercest __________ had ever seen him, Miki couldn't look any less unfazed after recovering from that episode.

"What. Did. You. Do."

"She's staying here since Riulcendea couldn't handle it. Shouldn't she at least know who she's up against?"  
He received only a wry response in return before Miki allowed herself to be crushed into red specks and flew away. Green and blue eyes widened in horror as they faced away and took in __________'s livid expression, and soon Piko was bounding over to her as well.

"_________, what did you see?"

"No wonder I didn't belong here. I don't even get to remember the times I lived here."

She was hurt, and all because she was unfortunate enough to be that one soul without her own privacy. Despite this, she now knew why she let her guard down around him and it only served to slice her up more. The intensity made the ground shake underneath her feet, but Piko caught her before she could lose her footing. 

"___________, please don't hate me for this, I have my reasons and I can tell you right now."

He wasn't angry anymore; she couldn't even pick up any traces of the threatening voice he used against Miki. Fully distraught, and too unrestrained to be acting. Tears flowed freely down her face, and with each drop washed away her early promise to never cry. Piko's arms only tightened around her when her sobs became known to him, and it only worsened his sense of guilt. One of his hands reached up and stroked her head in an attempt to comfort her.

"_________ . . I'm sorry."

Since there was no reply from her, Piko decided to make her belong. She had always belonged here, which was why he had taken a few drastic measures. She couldn't collapse under her own kindness, so he had to do it. That's it. That's why. He wasn't harming her. Even though she was clearly blaming him for knowing and somehow not doubting that redhead's words, he still wanted to defend himself with what said redhead once told him. He had to explain, secrets were what kept her in the dark for so long and if it happened again . .

No. He couldn't let it happen again.

He summoned one of the books ( he just had to focus on calling them here ) and then pulled both of them in, preparing himself for what was no doubt going to be a long trip.

~ 

They were back in _________'s room. To think that her room would still be fine after being terrorized by Miki the second last time they were in this house, it was somewhat of a miracle. She had expected it to be in a mess of dust and dirt after being away from it for so long, but that just wasn't the case. She had a pretty good idea of who kept it neat, but it just wasn't the time to comment about it now. She had Piko here for answers that she needed, and he'd better cough up some damn good reasons for what he had done too.

"How much did you see, _________?"

"About what I'm hoping is the first and last time you erased my memories."

Sure, he had to do that to make her old self start eating out of free will instead of chugging food down, but that didn't mean that he could betray her trust like that. Couldn't he have done something else? Somewhere within her was a tiny flame from her past; reasons first before accusations, but now she couldn't keep her mouth open for long just in case she started spewing insults later. 

"That's, uh . ." Piko's fists clenched and unclenched while still ducking his head, " . .not the last time. It's the first, though." He added on another useless comment at an attempt to salvage the situation.

"Just talk. I'll listen."

She'd end up running her mouth if he so much as asked her on what she would like to know first. Luckily, he understood. 

"I believe that the first time I used it was when you were rather malnourished, if I'm not wrong. I'll start there, then." He swallowed nervously at that when _________'s glare only intensified, "You were eating again. We were friends again, and I saw how comfortable you truly were around me. I knew at that time that you were already happier after I used it. During the time you were an amnesiac, you didn't try to force yourself around me anymore. I knew you were trying that time, but I didn't think you were that hung up on it."

"I thought that maybe I wasn't good enough, maybe you didn't like some things and stayed silent about it. If you thought so strongly about it, then I had to get rid of them if you would like me again. But each time I asked, you didn't say anything, _________."

Piko was speaking in the same guarded tone, but this time there was a plea behind it. __________ knew he was trying plead his case, even though she herself could not remember anything about this. She continued to listen, he had reasons for doing this, and if she could just stay silent throughout his explanation, then his reasons might even be acceptable. That's it.

"I know I breached your trust, but please believe me when I said I hated it. You looked liable to shatter that time! I knew I shouldn't do it, but I had to. . . I'm sure you don't want it to happen again, and I don't want it too. I had to know how to prevent it. But from what I saw, you didn't have anything to pick from me. So I just . . . I just made sure I didn't do anything you didn't like."

"And if I said nothing, how did you know?"

" . . . . Trial and error."

His fists were clenching the fabric of his clothes, even more so when he mentioned those three words. From that action alone was enough to tell ________ that he had done more than just observing her to correct his own shortcomings.

"I tried not to let you remember what mistakes I made. I thought I could finally be worthy of you if I knew how to treat you well. Every time you disapproved of something, I corrected it afterwards and . . . and . . ."

The unspoken words were as good as said. _________ felt herself growing indignant again but forced her teeth to clamp down. She had to speak carefully here in case she accidentally changed the topic and result in Piko postponing it for another time.

"Just get on with it," was what ________ grinded out through her still-clamped teeth, out for fear of losing her control. Her temper had its limits, which kept Piko talking out of fear her next sentence would send her control reeling from her.

"I overdid it. I wanted to be perfect, so I had to change some of my habits in the hope that you would see me differently. I overlooked that fact that it would get worse if I used it too much, and you started questioning why you constantly forget things. You became frantic and frightened, you wouldn't trust me at all because of that even though we lived in the same house. I told myself that you'd regain your memories someday, and then we'd go back to being friends. I almost gave up before I found out that you simply wanted someone to rely on. I didn't dare let anyone else be that person to you, so I had to start from the beginning again."

"We became friends. I didn't know how to deal with what I had done, and you came up with the idea of visiting some places. You said that I looked thin, that I should go outside and let things clear up. You had amnesia, but you still let me stay by your side at all times. Then I became popular in school after you suggested I mix with some of the students outside of school."  
"They were . . Unsupportive of our friendship. You encouraged me to hang out with other people, but I only grew worried about you. You were close to me before all that happened, and I didn't want them to approach you. Only time could tell when you would be harmed, and when I fended off some students who threatened you, you were crying."

How odd. A school with no visible name had played a part in this prequel. ___________ wondered how much more there was to this story. Piko had visibly relaxed as his side of the story began pouring out, but the way he narrated it insinuated that he had not forgotten how he made her cry. He had started to look up instead of avoiding her gaze.

"When I walked you home, you told me that I was suspicious given how much time I spent with you. I confessed, and I found out from you that my feelings were rather obvious even to you. All of that reputation I gained had been your way of trying to return how I felt, and it was also a failure. You asked me how it felt to remember your past, and the best way I could think of was to repair your memories the normal way. That's when Kurotane Piko came into the story while I erased myself from your life."

"Riulcendea loved him, so of course he would exist in this world of hers. He was still evasive, but he talked with people of his own will. I needed him to protect you and return you your identity while I was gone, but the way Riulcendea wanted him to be was assertive and sassy. From the way he acted and talked around you, I knew that he would still keep you from harm the way he did when Riulcendea was still awake, so I struck a deal with him. I would lock myself away, while he would give you a life of normalcy that suited you and not let anyone try anything on you. It was hard to entrust you to him, but I did not have the ability of fabricating fake memories for you. With the way he was around you, you would probably get close him and eventually side with him if he asked you to leave someday. I blamed him for that, and eagerly awaited the day I could return to you again." 

Utatane Piko really had that much power as her guardian? Even a completely made up version of Kurotane Piko was believable enough for her to form an intimate bond with him. He even voiced his thoughts and opinions on certain matters as if he was just that expressive. If she hadn't known her own past as Riulcendea's latest idea, she wouldn't have known how different the real one was from his dream personality. 

"When he finally fouled up his duties by letting a student hurt you, I was freed from my prison. When we met again, you were different—very different from the insecure girl I had known. I thought I didn't love you anymore, but finding out that you've grown into n independent person with a sense of purpose . . You were irresistible. I had to busy myself with little things in order to keep myself from telling you what really happened behind your back. I did not think that you trusted me enough to let me live with you, but I'm relieved that you weren't unconsciously hating me."

There was a small smile on Piko's lips when he talked about her. Most of ___________'s anger had faded away at this point; now she was imagining the past too with this new information and trying to see how they all fit together. She kept her attention rapt on his explanation, that wasn't all there was to it.

"Do you remember the day when both me and Kuro woke up earlier than you? I had already told him of the problem I caused to you, and we wanted to know whether your new memories had completely overwritten your past insecurity. The first sign of yourself not moving on was the presence of nightmares in your sleep, which you already passed, and whether you would have fits if you saw an upsetting scene. Our trip to the mall was the perfect setup that time. When you confronted us about it, you weren't haunted by bad thoughts. You were already fine, and as much as I'd like to thank Kuro for that, I couldn't."

"All this probably would not have happened if I had not listened to her. Maybe there would have been a better way around our problems if I had thought more. I am sorry for inflicting so much of my selfishness upon you, ____________. I really am."

_________ had seen how his posture relaxed as he talked, which made her wonder how long all this had gone on for if just saying all that could soften his burdens. She thought back to more recent events. Was his misdeeds the reason he cried while they were in a void before telling her to leave? Ever since Miki came along, Kurotane Piko had disappeared into thin air. There was only Utatane Piko there each time she awoke in this dream, the person who stayed with her through thick and thin. Had that been his indirect way of making up with her? He had saved her from Miki many times, too. 

Seeing how silent she was after he had finished, he waited for her judgment despite his nerves bubbling within him and numbing his limbs. His eyes slowly traveled down again, bracing himself for a scolding when—

"I accept your apology."

Her voice was surprisingly mellow, a stark contrast to the reaction he initially expected. He looked up again into her eyes, and found not a trace of the earlier bitterness within them.

"I don't know whether I can forgive you for what you did, since I can't recall anything you just said. It's like I don't belong in your story at all."

There was a half-smile on her face, but it didn't reach her eyes. Instead, conflict was nestled deeply within them. He felt like he should say something; her answer was the more important than anything else.

"I am not lying, ___________. Please believe me." 

"I'm not saying that I don't believe you. Also, now I know why I couldn't find any faults with you whenever I watch you live in my house."

He heard the lilt when she said that last sentence. It lightened the mood in her room and eased the tension. It caught him off guard for a while, but at least that smile was a full one now and less wary of him. He felt as if he was given the green light to remain as her friend already.

"You trained yourself to be that way! Now if only I could do the same . ."

"I don't mind teaching you, __________."

"I'm envious, your dedication is to be reckoned with! Do you still have that aspect?"

"I still do."

"Why? You must have a good reason?"

__________ must have thought he persevered for a different objective. Actually, he didn't think he'd live this long if not for one particular reason. Now that he knew he was her friend, there was still hope. Nerves still consumed him even after saying those words so many times to the same person. It seemed that there was no falling out of this feeling; he could only fall deeper into this pit.

" . . Because I still love you, _________. I . . I wanted you to be happy here."

A silence reigned in the room. Perhaps it was hard for _________ to believe that just one measly fictional identity could cause him to hold on to his sanity for so long.

"Am I really that important to you?"

"Yes, you are."

Another silence. ___________ had nothing to say that would help him, he sounded too worn out by false hope to be consoled by anything she could come up with. 

"Would you mind? If I . . uh. . continued chasing after you?"

Reject him, her heart screamed. No more false hope, her mind pleaded. He's weary enough. Her conscience yelled that she wasn't deserving of someone as loyal as him, if only to sugarcoat the truth that she did not feel the same way for him. 

But . . If she outright rejected him, wouldn't the outcome be worse? Left with a perfect prince who had eyes for no one else but her, a person who would never forgive himself if she turned him down? If he had the bravery to confess his mistakes to her and even confirm his longtime feelings for her after that, it suggested that she was the only straw for him to grasp at. 

The light in his eyes would be snuffed out forever if she said no. What would happen after that?

"You can go on. Because if you keep caring for me, maybe I'll fall for you too." 

A humorless laugh, doing nothing to conceal her fear of solitude. She welcomed the hope in Piko's differently colored eyes, and at the same time dreaded it. She did it out of kindness, but she had given him poison too. Poison that would wreck his wish little by little once he started coming close to the true meaning. She knew he took it seriously, but she couldn't bring herself to completely destroy his world, even if they stayed as friends afterwards.

As she drank in his smile and let his arms wrap around her body, she heard his tempting allure; sweet words promising to obey her every need. It was comforting and saddening as well, and to prevent its inevitable outcome would be a daunting task. Perhaps Piko teaching her the trait of perseverance this way would bring good to them both someday. 

She would really have to give this her all this time if she were to nurse his emotions, and Piko would be there for her to depend on, too. It may take weeks, it may take months, but she'll fall in love eventually. She just has to wait.

~END OF MY FAIRY TALE~


End file.
